Some species will raise their body temperature far above the surrounding environment by basking in the sun. We typically think of mammals as live bearing creatures which raise their young on milk. After monotreme eggs are hatched, the young are helpless, and in the case of the echidna, are carried in shallow abdominal pouches and the liquid produced by the nippleless mammary organ is licked from the belly hair of the mother. The female Platypus will lay usually two eggs in a clutch. The young animals have no fur when they hatch and the female uses its tail to clasp the young to its abdomen, enabling them to nurse.
Monotremes belong to the subclass Monotremata.
The platypus makes up the family Ornithorynchidae, classified as Ornithor hynchus. Echidnas are classified in the genera Tachyglossus and Zaglossus, family Tachyglossidae. EcoWorld , All Rights Reserved EcoWorld and EcoWorld Tours are registered Trademarks of EcoWorld Inc.