#platypuses — Public Fediverse posts

Platypuses need threatened species recognition in NSW, researcher says

"The species was only "hanging on, not thriving" in NSW and the Murray-Darling Basin."

"There's no state or national monitoring framework for platypuses...Dr Bino said platypuses had survived Australia's natural cycles for millions of years, but were now struggling to adapt to human-driven changes. We've been disrupting the natural flow regime and fragmenting and isolating platypus populations."

"Platypus are pretty much wiped out from the mainland in South Australia. They used to occur all along the Murray but that's no longer the case." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-27/platypuses-should-be-threatened-species-in-nsw-researcher-says/106520128
#platypuses #conservation #habitat #rivers #NSW #monotremes #MDB #ThreatenedSpecies #biodiversity #water #pollution #sprawl #ImperviousSurfaces #roads #runoff #drowning #WipeoutAU

Waterways contaminated with "forever chemicals"
The fate of Bellingen's platypuses

"An Australian-first study found perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the liver of deceased platypuses collected from numerous rivers in eastern NSW. PFOS is toxic to humans and has been linked to some cancers."

"Scientists from Western Sydney University (WSU) have discovered perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in the livers of eight deceased platypuses collected from numerous eastern NSW rivers, from the north coast in Bellingen to the alps of Jindabyne."

"All eight wild platypuses collected from NSW waterways over the past two and a half years returned results with concentrations of some PFOS in them, ranging from 4 micrograms per kilogram (µg/kg) to 1,200 µg/kg — some of the highest concentrations of any species in the world."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-20/australia-first-study-finds-forever-chemicals-in-platypuses/104244072

Platypus Survival - Inspired by True Events
https://bellingenarea.blogspot.com/2023/11/platypus-survival-inspired-by-true.html
#platypuses #Bellingen #rivers #creeks #water #NSW #PFOS #pollution #sentinels #PerfluorooctaneSulfonate #FirefightingFoam #contamination #monotremes #wildlife #chemical #FoodChain #MidNorthCoast