When asked by reporters how to refer to the new arrivals, zoo staff suggested using the term “puggle” – a word previously used to denote a baby echidna. This situation changed in 2003 when a captive female platypus succeeded in raising twin daughters at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Because juveniles are not normally seen by people at an earlier stage of development, there has historically never been any need to adopt a specific term for an infant platypus. When a juvenile platypus first emerges from its natal burrow (at the age of about 3-4 months), it is already fully furred, well-coordinated, and has grown to around 80% of its adult length. What is the correct term for a baby platypus? the Australian water-rat) was originally an aboriginal term for this animal, its plural in English is presumably “rakali” rather than “rakalis”.

(For the sake of simplicity, we prefer using the second term.) By the same token, given that “rakali” (a.k.a.

However, given that “platypodes” has for some unfathomable reason never become popular, the dictionary goes on to say that the accepted plural is “platypuses” or (particularly in scientific and conservation contexts) “platypus”. Given that the plural of the Greek “pous” is “podes”, we conclude that – strictly speaking – the plural of “platypus” should be “platypodes”. People feel that “platypi” doesn’t sound quite right, but what’s the alternative? According to our copy of the Australian Pocket Oxford Dictionary (Fourth Edition), the word “platypus” is derived from two Greek words meaning “flat broad foot”. This is perhaps the single most frequently asked question about the species.

Plural of platypus oxford dictionary