Djanbung Platypus
Geography & Science
Stage 2-3
Acknowledgement of Country
Jingela (Hello), Jingi Walla (Welcome) Jarjums (Children)
We would like to acknowledge the Bundjalung Nation, part of the First Peoples of this land, who looked after this beautiful country in a sustainable way for at least 65000-80000 years. They kept the waters and air pristine, they didn’t chop down trees or drag tonnes of minerals from the land. They demonstrated a custodial role towards all the flora and fauna species around them and that in itself deserves our respect. I acknowledge Elders past, present and future and any Indigenous people with us today.
Djanbung is the one of the Bundjalung names for Platypus. It is a sacred animal for the Bundjalung people, featured in local Dreamtime stories and paintings.
The Widjabul people of the Bundjalung Nation are the traditional custodians of the lands, waters, animals and plants of our water catchment areas. They have maintained a responsibility and a deeply felt association with the water and the land of this area for at least 65000 years.
Today everyone is responsible for looking after the animals, plants,land and water.
We are all custodians.
Welcome to this remote learning google site that focuses on Platypus - their habitat, habits and diet.
Please find Science and Geography activities for students in Stage 2 and 3.
Habitat
Look at the 3D pictures below and click on the images in the photos to learn more about platypus and what type of habitat they need.
Habits
Look at the powerpoint, pages and video below to learn more about the habits of this wonderful Australian monotreme.
Diet
Platypus love eating Macroinvertebrates (water bugs). Water bugs can also tell us about about the quality of the water. We have included an activity for you to identify what water bugs living in the local dam and using this data, tells us about the water quality of the local platypus habitat. When you have looked at the dam and the resources below, click this link to go to Stream watch
Platypus threats.
The biggest threats to the platypus is the loss of their habitat, due to land clearing; construction of dams that disrupt the natural water flow; and predation (being prey for another animal). Animal that predate on platypus include our native snakes, water rats, and goannas as well as introduced (feral) animals such as foxes, cats and dogs.
Entanglement in litter, is also a threat to platypus populations, especially discarded fishing line. Popular yabby traps cause many drowning deaths of platypus (see link below)
Protection of native animals
All native birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, but not including dingoes, are protected in NSW by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
Platypus Northern Rivers.pptxWhat is a Platypus?
Fishing-for-yabbies-in-NSW.pdfPlatypus Death Traps
Report a Sighting