My Science School

The duckbill platypus uses its cheek pouches to store food. Its pouches come in handy when it goes down to the bottom of the river to gather its food, mainly insect larvae, water snails and crustaceans.

These Australian mammals are bottom feeders. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption. Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to “chew” their meal.

Picture Credit : Google