![]() Īll content, layout and design in this websiteĪre protected by copyright 1998-2017 John Chambers. Placing ice or cold-packs on the site of the spur wound is not advisable as this may actually intensify the discomfort. The pain appears to be controlled more effectively by local nerve-blocking agents than by morphine-related drugs. The male injects painful venom commonly in fights against other males. Used mostly during mating season, the barb of the male platypus is located above its rear feet. Seek medical assistance as soon as possible. The ever-mysterious monotreme, the platypus, is yet another Australian animal to be armed with a dangerous stinging apparatus. Immobilise the injured limb with a pressure-bandage and splint If spurred, take first-aid action as for snake-bite - i.e. WHAT TO DO IF SPURRED? Return to Platypus Page To reduce struggling, cover the animal's eyes with a folded towel or item of soft clothing while it is being handled. If it is necessary to pick up a sick or injured animal (for example, to place it in a secure bag or box before taking it to a veterinarian) the safest technique is to grip the platypus by the middle or end of its tail (but not the tail base, which an animal can reach with its spurs). Special care should be taken to avoid holding or supporting males (or animals of undetermined sex) from below. In such a situation, the platypus can be restrained by holding its body flat against the ground while the hook is carefully removed - ideally by a second person. Platypus should never be handled, except in an emergency - for example, to extract a fishing hook that has become embedded in a platypus's bill. However, it remained unclear whether the resulting tissue damage was due to the effects of poison or simply physical trauma and possible infection. In captivity, a 15-year-old male died some days after being spurred by a younger adult in December (after the breeding season). No one actually knows how dangerous platypus venom is to other platypus. ![]() As well, platypus poison triggers severe pain in the affected limb and can result in quite spectacular localised swelling. However, spurring is painful - in part, because platypus spurs are sharp and can be driven in with great force. Platypus venom is not considered to be life-threatening to a healthy human. These days, people mainly get spurred when they handle a platypus which has become hooked inadvertently on a fishing line. In the days when platypus were shot for their fur, dogs were sometimes killed after being sent to retrieve a wounded male from the water. If provoked, a male platypus can use his spurs as a defensive weapon. Recent research shows that the venom could actually be useful as a new type of painkiller as it acts on pain receptor cells, which is a property unique among venoms but shared with the active ingredient of chillies. Although the male echidna has a similar spur on the ankle of its hind-leg, it lacks the functional venom gland of the platypus. The only other mammal with a comparable spur is the echidna. It is therefore presumed that males mainly use their spurs when competing for mates or breeding territories. Venom is only secreted by mature males, with production peaking during the platypus breeding season in late winter and spring. Adult males have a pointed spur (about 15 millimetres long) located just above the heel of each hind leg, which can be used to inject poison produced by a gland in the thigh (the crural gland). The platypus is the only Australian mammal known to be venomous. Information Courtesy of: The Australian Platypus Conservancy This will not stop all the weeds, but the few that make it through can be easily picked by hand.! Platypus poison ! Tropical Rainforest, North Queensland, Australia You can also try to use wood chips to cover a certain area where you do not want anything to grow. This may take more time than using a synthetic herbicide, but you can feel a little better about using these products. You can also try pouring boiling hot water or spraying white vinegar on the target plants. This is probably one of the most difficult methods because there is no assurance that you will get the whole plant out this way. You can manually pull the plants out of the ground. If you don’t plan on using herbicides, there are a few organic methods you can use to try to get rid of toxic plants. If you follow the instructions precisely, then everything should run smoothly for you. Once you have purchased the herbicide you will want to make sure to follow the label posted on the container. You can find many herbicides meant for yard use by simply searching the term online. This can be especially easy if you own a grass lawn and use an herbicide that targets broadleaf (non-grass) species. The easiest but possibly most controversial way to get rid of poisonous plants is by using herbicides.
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