@sepiata

Platypuses have one of the strangest sensory abilities among mammals. They can detect electricity. When a platypus hunts underwater, it closes its eyes, ears, and nostrils completely. Instead of using sight or hearing, it relies on electroreception to find prey. The muscles of insects and small animals produce tiny electrical signals. Specialized receptors in the platypus’s bill can detect these signals and pinpoint their location with high accuracy. This makes the platypus the only mammal that uses electricity as a primary hunting sense. It’s a reminder that evolution doesn’t follow one path. Sometimes, it invents something completely unexpected.

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