Coloring Book Beak

Its body length ranges from 30 to 45 centimeters, its tail in turn measures up to 15 centimeters, but its body weight is only 0.5 to 2 kilograms.

Its horn-edged snout deceptively resembles the shape of a duck's beak. Its fur is very dense, which has a dark brown coloration on top.

Information

Occurrence- The pecker is found in eastern Australia and very often inhabits the shores of lakes, streams and rivers. There it digs burrows which are connected by many passages at the end of which are nesting chambers. It is an excellent diver and swimmer, but it does not move very fast on land.

Mode of life- Outside of the mating season, the Animal prefers to live a solitary, sedentary lifestyle. This animal is active only at night. It always sets out to hunt only at dusk and captures its prey only in the water, after which it drags it to shore and eats it.

Often its food includes snails, clams, annelids, and the larvae of various insects. The pecker stores its fat reserves in its broad tail.

Reproduction- The female lays 2 to 3 eggs in a dry chamber, which she then hatches. After about 10 days the young hatch, but they are still blind. The female feeds her cubs with milk and the cubs do not suckle but lick the food which runs down her fur. The mother feeds them for about 3-4 months and after this time the young leave their burrow. The beak lives about 15 years.

Trivia

1. Oviparous mammal: The beak is one of the few mammals that lay eggs. The female lays 1-3 eggs and incubates them for about 10 days.
2. Appearance: The pecker has a beak resembling a duck's beak, membranous feet and a flat tail. The beak's appearance is so unusual that when the first specimen was shipped to Europe, scientists thought it was a hoax.
3. Venom: Male beaks have spikes on their hind limb that secrete venom. This venom is not fatal to humans, but is very painful.
4. Electrolocation: The beak can detect electric fields generated by the muscles and nerves of fish, which helps it locate prey underwater.
5. Teeth: Young beaks have teeth that fall out when they reach maturity. Adult beaks have horn plates instead of teeth.
6. Breathing: The beak is well adapted to life in water - it can hold its breath for about 5 minutes.
7. Fur: The pecker's fur is very thick and waterproof, which helps it stay warm underwater.
8. Girls' eggs: Beak eggs are similar to reptile eggs in that they have a leathery shell, rather than a hard shell as in birds.
9. Reproduction: The female pecker lays her eggs in a hollow nest on a river bank, which she pads with soft material such as grass and leaves.
10. Status: The beak is considered a species of least concern, which means it is not currently threatened with extinction.