... and biological characteristics of both mammals and reptiles. Early botanists who came across the platypus in the 18th century found it so bizarre and unconformist, that many thought it was a fake until it was proven later to be genuine. The duck-billed platypus came under much scrutiny because it was like no other known mammals; as it has the possession of hair and mammary glands but has a few skeletal features in common with the reptiles, and together with the fact that female platypus lay eggs in order to reproduce. So what do we class Ornithorhynchus anatinus as? Primitive Mammal or hairy reptile? Well the possession of hair and mammary glands is enough to place the platypus into the class Mammalia, even though it is certainly a very different mammal. The platypus was placed in the order Monotremata. All animals of this order have the special feature that they have ...

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