What Sounds Do Platypuses Make and Why They Are So Quiet

The platypus, an animal native to eastern Australia, presents a unique combination of features, including a duck-like bill, a beaver-like tail, and an otter-like body. Males possess a venomous spur on their hind feet, adding to their distinctive characteristics. As one of only five egg-laying mammals, known as monotremes, the platypus often sparks curiosity regarding its communication methods, particularly its vocalizations. Many people commonly perceive these semi-aquatic creatures as largely silent.

The Sounds of Silence (and Occasional Noise)

Platypuses are generally quiet animals, but they do produce sounds. Observations indicate they produce a range of soft vocalizations, particularly when disturbed, stressed, or handled. These sounds can include low growls, grunts, and soft chirps. Some researchers have noted cooing noises, especially from platypuses perceived as content, while chittering sounds may indicate unhappiness.

More aggressive vocalizations, such as louder growls, can occur when a platypus is angry, sometimes accompanied by the rubbing of their venomous spurs. Young platypuses, or “puggles,” are more vocal than adults, emitting soft, high-pitched sounds to communicate with their mothers, which helps them stay close and safe. These vocalizations are rare and short-lived, often heard more frequently in captive settings where interactions are closely observed. Vocalizations in platypuses are not considered a primary form of communication within their species.

Beyond Vocalizations: Other Forms of Communication

Given their limited vocalizations, platypuses rely on highly specialized sensory adaptations to navigate their environment and communicate. Electroreception is a key sense, allowing them to detect weak electrical impulses. This capability aids hunting, as they sense subtle electrical signals from underwater prey like insect larvae, crustaceans, and worms. When foraging underwater, the platypus closes its eyes, ears, and nostrils, depending almost entirely on its sensitive bill.

The platypus bill contains approximately 40,000 electroreceptors, highly sensitive to electric fields, and about 60,000 mechanoreceptors (“push-rods”) that detect pressure changes and water movement. To pinpoint prey, the platypus employs a side-to-side head motion, scanning the water. These mechanoreceptors can detect prey movement from 15 to 50 centimeters away. Beyond these bill senses, platypuses also use chemical signals for communication, with males employing scent glands and scent marking through urination or scat deposition to define territories.

Why Platypuses Are Not Loud Speakers

The generally quiet nature of platypuses is influenced by several biological and ecological factors. Their solitary lifestyle means they do not form large social groups, reducing the need for complex vocal communication often seen in more social species. Platypuses are primarily nocturnal, emerging at dusk to forage, and their activity during darker hours lessens the reliance on auditory cues for interaction. This solitary and nocturnal existence also contributes to reducing their risk of predation, as making minimal noise and moving stealthily helps them avoid drawing attention.

Their aquatic habitat also plays a role in their quietness. Sound transmission differs underwater, and platypuses have evolved specialized senses, such as electroreception, that are highly effective in their watery environment for hunting and navigation. Vocalizing extensively could attract predators, including eagles, pythons, and foxes, which are known to prey on platypuses. Remaining quiet helps them stay concealed within their burrows and when moving through the water, thus minimizing exposure to potential threats.

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