But watch out for the venomous spurs
October 22, 2013 10:37 AM Subscribe
Yes, tickle the animal with venomous spikes. You go right ahead, while I stay here and avoid the entire southern hemisphere.
posted by blue_beetle at 11:06 AM on October 22, 2013
posted by blue_beetle at 11:06 AM on October 22, 2013
The gal featured here doesn't have any per se; while she could still poke ya, only males make venom.
posted by Valued Customer at 11:27 AM on October 22, 2013
posted by Valued Customer at 11:27 AM on October 22, 2013
I think platypus tickling is an entirely acceptable avocation, assuming the playpus is willing to be tickled, and these did not seem to mind.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:31 AM on October 22, 2013
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:31 AM on October 22, 2013
Yah, that's a little girl there. She could give you a good jab, like VC says, but she couldn't actually do much damage beyond a puncture.
Also, SQUEEEE she kicks like a puppy!
posted by strixus at 11:35 AM on October 22, 2013
Also, SQUEEEE she kicks like a puppy!
posted by strixus at 11:35 AM on October 22, 2013
"Tickling the platypus" is either the best or the worst euphemism for masturbation I've ever heard.
posted by mudpuppie at 11:37 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by mudpuppie at 11:37 AM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
I think platypus tickling is an entirely acceptable avocation, assuming the playpus is willing to be tickled...
Tickling an unwilling platypus is just wrong.
Wrong and painful, or wrong and deadly, depending on what you don't know about your platy.
posted by BlueHorse at 11:52 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Tickling an unwilling platypus is just wrong.
Wrong and painful, or wrong and deadly, depending on what you don't know about your platy.
posted by BlueHorse at 11:52 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
while I stay here and avoid the entire southern hemisphere.
Australia just has snakes and spiders - North America also has the large carnivorous animals.
posted by zamboni at 11:57 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Australia just has snakes and spiders - North America also has the large carnivorous animals.
posted by zamboni at 11:57 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
Australia just has snakes and spiders - North America also has the large carnivorous animals.
Oh no, Australia has those too.
And also, it's not even remotely just the poisonous reptiles, arthropods, and mammals you need to worry about (of which there are many, many, many). It's also the cnidarians, the cephalopods, and the fish.
The Platypus House, where this very well might have been filmed, was a lot of fun. You also can see echidnas! And there is Sea Horse World just down the street, for those who find themselves in Northern Tasmania. I found both places well worth the trip.
posted by tempestuoso at 12:28 PM on October 22, 2013
Oh no, Australia has those too.
And also, it's not even remotely just the poisonous reptiles, arthropods, and mammals you need to worry about (of which there are many, many, many). It's also the cnidarians, the cephalopods, and the fish.
The Platypus House, where this very well might have been filmed, was a lot of fun. You also can see echidnas! And there is Sea Horse World just down the street, for those who find themselves in Northern Tasmania. I found both places well worth the trip.
posted by tempestuoso at 12:28 PM on October 22, 2013
There you are, Perry!
posted by jeather at 1:05 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jeather at 1:05 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
I was slightly concerned about the origin of this, as a lot of human contact experiences result in stressed animals, but it looks like this is just allowing visitors to join in the daily feeding sessions once a day, not having platypus just for the purpose of selling encounters.
posted by tavella at 1:28 PM on October 22, 2013
posted by tavella at 1:28 PM on October 22, 2013
LOOK AT THEIR LITTLE FEETS
posted by louche mustachio at 4:03 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by louche mustachio at 4:03 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
It would be so indescribably fucking grand if we could have just one thread about Australia on metafilter, without a farrago of pig-shit derail jokes about venomous or dangerous animals.
/Australian.
posted by smoke at 4:21 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
/Australian.
posted by smoke at 4:21 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
smoke: "It would be so indescribably fucking grand if we could have just one thread about Australia on metafilter, without a farrago of pig-shit derail jokes about venomous or dangerous animals."
To be fair, this thread is actually about a venomous animal.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:44 PM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
To be fair, this thread is actually about a venomous animal.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 5:44 PM on October 22, 2013 [3 favorites]
At least they're not talking about Paul Hogan anymore!
posted by h00py at 7:40 PM on October 22, 2013
posted by h00py at 7:40 PM on October 22, 2013
Smoke, I love how our native fauna terrifies non-Aussies. It cracks me up that a nation with bears and cougars would be frightened of a little itty-bitty spider which can be easily squished if it is dangerous, or a snake which can be easily outrun or beheaded with a strategically-placed shovel, unlike bears or cougars.
It's like those facebook posts with the pic of the huntsman sitting on the toilet roll. Aussies know that if you say BOO! to the spider it will usually shit itself and take off, but non-Aussies seem to think it will immediately grow fangs five cm long dripping with radioactive venom, and launch itself at your throat.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 9:24 PM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
It's like those facebook posts with the pic of the huntsman sitting on the toilet roll. Aussies know that if you say BOO! to the spider it will usually shit itself and take off, but non-Aussies seem to think it will immediately grow fangs five cm long dripping with radioactive venom, and launch itself at your throat.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 9:24 PM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]
If, as proposed, carnivorous kangaroos were still alive 18,000 years ago,
then most probably an indigenous Australian, at some point came face to face with this:
'flesh-eating kangaroos had wolf like fangs'
Let us not waste anyone's time ever again discussing scary redbacks etc.
Once,
Australia had scary animals,
then people arrived,
and we ate them.
posted by compound eye at 11:23 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
then most probably an indigenous Australian, at some point came face to face with this:
'flesh-eating kangaroos had wolf like fangs'
Let us not waste anyone's time ever again discussing scary redbacks etc.
Once,
Australia had scary animals,
then people arrived,
and we ate them.
posted by compound eye at 11:23 PM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's like those facebook posts with the pic of the huntsman sitting on the toilet roll. Aussies know that if you say BOO! to the spider it will usually shit itself and take off, but non-Aussies seem to think it will immediately grow fangs five cm long dripping with radioactive venom, and launch itself at your throat.
Yeah, it's only the Southern Wailing Spider that does that.
posted by ambivalentic at 7:34 AM on October 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Yeah, it's only the Southern Wailing Spider that does that.
posted by ambivalentic at 7:34 AM on October 23, 2013 [2 favorites]
Smoke, I love how our native fauna terrifies non-Aussies.
Conversely, having lived in Banff, I loved how our native fauna terrified ausises. I mean you come from a place with some of the most venomous animals and you are worried about a grizzly bear? An animal that is largely a herbivore, that will go out of its way to avoid you and is only really a concern if you surprise it by moving to quick and not making enough noise in the woods. Even in an attack it will probably just leave you well enough alone once its knocked you unconscious.
Cougars usually bugger off if you throw rocks at them or look big, black-bears can be incapacitated by grabbing their tongue.
So I mean, whats to worry about?...
Okay, so full disclosure, I got charged by one grizzly (stopped when I fired a banger flare in the air), stalked by a cougar for 3kms (he was just curious, honest!), and chased up a cliff twice by elk (fricken spike males are ornery). Banff is a silly place.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 10:22 AM on October 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Conversely, having lived in Banff, I loved how our native fauna terrified ausises. I mean you come from a place with some of the most venomous animals and you are worried about a grizzly bear? An animal that is largely a herbivore, that will go out of its way to avoid you and is only really a concern if you surprise it by moving to quick and not making enough noise in the woods. Even in an attack it will probably just leave you well enough alone once its knocked you unconscious.
Cougars usually bugger off if you throw rocks at them or look big, black-bears can be incapacitated by grabbing their tongue.
So I mean, whats to worry about?...
Okay, so full disclosure, I got charged by one grizzly (stopped when I fired a banger flare in the air), stalked by a cougar for 3kms (he was just curious, honest!), and chased up a cliff twice by elk (fricken spike males are ornery). Banff is a silly place.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 10:22 AM on October 23, 2013 [1 favorite]
Pink Fuzzy Bunny: "big, black-bears can be incapacitated by grabbing their tongue. "
To be fair, they're generally kept in check by our ferocious kitty-cats.
Aussies: beware. We got lots of cats.
posted by IAmBroom at 3:49 PM on October 23, 2013
To be fair, they're generally kept in check by our ferocious kitty-cats.
Aussies: beware. We got lots of cats.
posted by IAmBroom at 3:49 PM on October 23, 2013
I think the videos actually come from the Healesville Sanctuary here in Victoria. I'd love to do the platypus encounter tour myself, but it costs hundreds of dollars and they only let two people do it at a time.
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:20 AM on October 24, 2013
posted by Joe in Australia at 4:20 AM on October 24, 2013
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