Platypus' drying habitat makes them 'vulnerable'

Wading through the water with their furry bodies, duck bills and webbed feet, the platypus is one of Australia's most unique mammals.

But they're at risk - with Australian scientists calling on Monday (November 23) to list the platypus as a vulnerable species after a report showed that their habitat had shrunk more than a fifth in the last 30 years.

Severe drought brought about by climate change, land clearing for farming and dam-building are to blame, according to researchers at the University of New South Wales who made recommendations to government scientific panels.

Professor Richard Kingsford is the director of the University's Centre for Ecosystem Science.

"It can't live outside water and so with increasing drying of the Australian continent and our propensity to take more water out of the rivers means that some of those pools that were permanent are probably going to dry up more in the future as you know, we get increased temperatures and evaporation but as well as that they are affected by pollution, they are effected by invasive species, they are affected by a range of other threats which are major challenges to platypus."

Research models show that platypus numbers may have more than halved over several decades- but figures are hard to pinpoint.

''Platypus are a bit out of sight, out of mind. You know, no one really sees them that often because they're nocturnal, we don't know that much about them because they're difficult to work on. And so if you like, the sort of iconic species like koala become the posterchild for conservation. But, you know, I think platypus are really, we are missing the major changes that are occurring for this species and unless we get this right we are really going to be in trouble."

More resources can be deployed to protect their habitats once they are on the threatened list