Platypus
by Amy E Fraser
Title
Platypus
Artist
Amy E Fraser
Medium
Painting - Oil Pastel On Paper
Description
The Platypus by Amy E. Fraser. This is an expressive platypus portrait in shades of black, brown and gold with happy golden eyes and a cheerful expression complimented with a Tiffany blue textural background.
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is one of the few mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Like other monotremes, it senses prey through electrolocation. It is one of the few species of venomous mammals, as the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom, capable of causing severe pain to humans. The body and the broad, flat tail of the platypus are covered with dense, brown, bio-fluorescent fur that traps a layer of insulating air to keep the animal warm. Platypus fur is waterproof, and the texture is akin to that of a mole. The platypus uses its tail for storage of fat reserves. The webbing on the feet is more significant on the front feet and is folded back when walking on land. The elongated snout and lower jaw are covered in soft skin, forming the bill. The nostrils are located on the dorsal surface of the snout, while the eyes and ears are located in a groove set just back from it; this groove is closed when swimming. Platypuses have been heard to emit a low growl when disturbed and a range of other vocalizations have been reported in captive specimens. The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, and the first scientists to examine a preserved platypus body (in 1799) judged it a fake, made of several animals sewn together. The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of evolutionary biology, and a recognizable and iconic symbol of Australia. It is culturally significant as the platypus has been a subject in the Dreamtime stories of Aboriginal Australians, some of whom believed the animal was a hybrid of a duck and a water rat.
Amy E. Fraser’s Oil Pastel Animal Portrait series is an impassioned tribute to the beauty and magic of our beloved Animal Kingdom. Fun, gestural and energetic, these vibrant animals are painted in a stylized realism that is imbued with distinctive character and personality.
The Platypus by Amy E. Fraser Animal Portrait Paintings created from the artist’s intense connection to and love for all creatures great and small. Oil Pastel on archival paper. All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
Uploaded
April 28th, 2022
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