WARNING!Do not pick up apparently sick or dying platypuses because the males have venomous spurs inside their hind legs and are capable of inflicting an extremely painful wound.For advice on what to do with a sick or dying platypus contact Wildlife Services Wildlife.Services@nre.tas.gov.au - 03 6165 4305. To monitor the status and distribution of platypuses, and the impact of Mucormycosis, we need to know where diseased platypuses currently are around Tasmania.
Help us by reporting observations of both diseased and healthy platypuses.If You See a Diseased Playtpus
You can help us by reporting your observations of diseased platypuses and indicating exactly where you see them. If you see diseased or dead platypuses with open sores, lesions or wounds on any part of the body, we would like to know exactly where you saw the animals. Ideally we need GPS coordinates (and the datum you are using) , or a map grid reference (and the map sheet you are using) so we can pinpoint your observation and include it in our geographic information database.
1. Email Wildlife.Services@nre.tas.gov.auPlease describe in detail the condition of the platypus and the location of the sighting. A detailed description of the location is especially important if you don't have map or GPS coordinations for the locations. An example of a useful description would be:
On the 2 January 2022, 500 m upstream of the highway 8 bridge between Smallsville and Timbuctoo on the XXX river I saw a platypus with a large lesion on its tail.
If you see a diseased platypus on a large lake please describe its location as comprehensively as you can so we can precisely identify the site. Photos are also very useful. If you manage to take a photograph, please include this in your email.
or 2. Phone Wildlife Services - 03 6165 4305If you visit a particular creek, river or lake regularly, please see below.
If You See a Healthy Platypus
If you see a healthy platypus, enjoy the experience. Please also send an email to
Wildlife.Services@nre.tas.gov.au with a detailed description of the exact location of the sighting and the condition of the platypus (see above) so we can add your observation to the database.
Revisiting a Location?
If you regularly visit a particular creek, river or lake and see platypuses you can help by keeping a regular log of your observations using the
public walks information sheet.
The public walks information sheet is quick and simple to fill in and will help us monitor the disease status and persistence of platypus populations in Tasmania.
For people who revisit particular locations please describe the location you normally visit and then record the details of each visit to it and how many apparently healthy and diseased platypuses you see each time. It's just as important also to record each visit where no platypuses are seen, since absences are important information.
If any platypuses appear to have lesions or injuries, please indicate this in the Notes section of the form.