monotreme
Mammal laying eggs
A monotreme is a mammal that lays eggs rather than bearing live young.
The group includes only the platypus and echidnas, all native to Australia and New Guinea.
Despite laying eggs, monotremes nurse their young with milk—the defining mammalian trait.
The name reflects their single opening for reproduction and excretion.
Having sharp points
- ant-eaterInsect-eating mammal
- pugglePug-beagle hybrid dog
- snoutBeast's protruding face
- quillsHollow defensive animal spikes
insectivorous · burrowing · nocturnal · termites · tongue · New Guinea · cloaca · solitary
Having a flattened beak-like mouth
- billAmount owed, written
- webbed feetSkin-connected toes for swimming
- semi-aquaticPartially water-based lifestyle
- burrowAnimal's dug dwelling
aquatic · amphibious · diving · freshwater · riverside · cloaca · spur · endemic
Of milk glands
- lactationMammary gland secretion
- furAnimal body hair
- warm-bloodedInternally temperature-regulated
- endothermicAbsorbing thermal energy
nursing · vertebrate · cloaca · hair · mammalogy
Native to one area
- AustraliaSouthern Hemisphere continent-country
- TasmaniaIsland state below Australia
- New GuineaOceanian island, split politically
- outbackRemote interior wilderness
protected · wildlife · billabong · eucalyptus · conservation · zoo · sanctuary · biodiversity
Reproducing through external eggs
- incubationDevelopment before emergence
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- yolkEgg's nutrient core
- broodingAnxiously dwelling on something
hatchling · laying · ovum · nesting · maternal care · hatching · embryo · reproductive
In earliest form
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- paleontologyStudy of ancient organisms
Gondwana · divergence · lineage · prehistoric · ancestral · living fossil · relict · phylogeny
spiny
Having sharp points
quills · insectivorous · burrowing · nocturnal · termites · tongue · New Guinea · cloaca · solitary
duck-billed
Having a flattened beak-like mouth
- billAmount owed, written
- webbed feetSkin-connected toes for swimming
- semi-aquaticPartially water-based lifestyle
burrow · aquatic · amphibious · diving · freshwater · riverside · cloaca · spur · endemic · Tasmania
mammary
Of milk glands
- lactationMammary gland secretion
- furAnimal body hair
- warm-bloodedInternally temperature-regulated
endothermic · nursing · vertebrate · cloaca · hair · mammalogy
endemic
Native to one area
- AustraliaSouthern Hemisphere continent-country
- TasmaniaIsland state below Australia
- New GuineaOceanian island, split politically
outback · protected · wildlife · billabong · eucalyptus · conservation · zoo · sanctuary · biodiversity · indigenous
oviparous
Reproducing through external eggs
- incubationDevelopment before emergence
- clutchMechanism linking engine to gearbox
- yolkEgg's nutrient core
brooding · hatchling · laying · ovum · nesting · maternal care · hatching · embryo · reproductive · egg tooth
primitive
In earliest form
- MesozoicAge of Reptiles
- CretaceousFinal Mesozoic period
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
paleontology · Gondwana · divergence · lineage · prehistoric · ancestral · living fossil · relict · phylogeny · ancient