Unique And Unusual

The duckbill

How duckbills come into the world

Between August and October, the female lays one to three eggs with very soft shell. Each one is approx. 2.5 cm big. These sticky eggs hang off the mother’s belly fur. In addition, she holds them safely in place with her flat tail.

When hatching 7-14 days later, the baby uses the “egg tooth“ on his bill to open the die leathery shell.

Helpless

Without fur, helpless and blind, the baby, only 1,5 cms. long, holds on to the mother‘s fur with his bill. The ferrous milk drips from the glands into the fur so the hatched babies can lick it off. After four months, the cubs are almost their mother’s size.

At the age of six months, the duckbill is able to take care of himself.

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