The duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus , is a primitive Australian mammal (a monotreme ) that lays eggs. After an egg hatches, the tiny baby (called a puggle) drinks its mother's milk, which comes from tiny openings in the mother's belly. They have a life span of 10-17 years. Platypus live in burrows and spend much of their time in freshwater ponds and streams. The name platypus means "flat footed."