The animal platypus is not yet extinct.

The platypus is one of the most primitive mammals, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the platypus as an endangered species. A study conducted by scientists at the University of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne estimated that climate change could lead to a decline in the platypus's population of up to 73 percent over the next 50 years.

University of NSW scientists published a study in the journal Global Ecology and Nature Conservation, which shows that the platypus' range has shrunk dramatically over the past decade, to less than 41 percent of the previous record.

Introduction

The platypus is mainly found on the east coast of Australia, which is the area most affected by fire. Also, the eastern states are home to 80% of Australia's population.

Animal welfare organization Aussie Ark found two dead platypuses in a dry waterway. Platypuses are also threatened by pollution, land clearing, and predation from invasive species such as foxes, dingoes, and cats, especially if they choose to seek out new bodies of water on land.