Monotrematum

The **South American platypus** (*Monotrematum americanum*) is a species of monotreme that originally lived in the Salamanca Formation in Patagonia, Argentina during the Paleocene as an extinct species, *Monotrematum sudamericanum*, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, lakes, rivers, riverbanks, and ponds across South America to help boost biodiversity. The South American platypus is larger in size than the Australian platypus (*Ornithorhynchus anatinus*), growing to be about 70 centimeters (27.5 inches) in length and weighing between 1.3-3.2 kilograms (2.94-7.2 lbs) on average. The South American platypus resembles the Australian platypus in build and appearance, but unlike the Australian platypus, it has a bill that possesses molars as an adult. The South American platypus uses its spoon-shaped bill in order to feed on crustaceans, water borne insect larvae, and small vertebrates such as fish and frogs. The South American platypus is an excellent swimmer and spends much of its time in the water foraging for food. It has a very characteristic swimming style and no external ears. Uniquely among mammals, it propels itself when swimming by an alternate rowing motion of the front feet; although all four feet of the South American platypus are webbed, the hind feet (which are held against the body) do not assist in propulsion, but are used for steering in combination with the tail. The species is endothermic, maintaining its body temperature at about 32 °C (90 °F), lower than most mammals, even while foraging for hours in water below 5 °C (41 °F). When not in the water, the South American platypus retires to a short, straight resting burrow of oval cross-section, oftentimes in the riverbank and/or ponds not far above water level, and often hidden under a protective tangle of roots of many kinds of plants. The average sleep time of a South American platypus is said to be as long as 14 hours per day, possibly because it eats crustaceans, which provide a high level of calories. Like other monotremes, it senses prey through electrolocation, and like other monotremes, including other platypus species, the South American platypus lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Newly hatched South American platypuses are vulnerable, blind, and hairless, and are fed by the mother's milk. Although possessing mammary glands, the South American platypus lacks teats. Instead, milk is released through pores in the skin. The milk pools in grooves on her abdomen, allowing the young to lap it up. After they hatch, the offspring are suckled for three to four months. During incubation and weaning, the mother initially leaves the burrow only for short periods, to forage. When doing so, she creates a number of thin soil plugs along the length of the burrow, possibly to protect the young from predators; pushing past these on her return forces water from her fur and allows the burrow to remain dry. After about five weeks, the mother begins to spend more time away from her young, and at around four months, the young emerge from the burrow. A South American platypus is born with teeth, and these teeth are retained through adulthood, along with the horny plates it uses to grind food. The conservation status of the South American platypus is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the South American platypus's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.