Platypus burrow temperatures at a subalpine Tasmanian lake

When platypuses are in their burrows, microhabitat is of great importance for energy conservation, especially where air temperatures frequently fall below freezing in winter. In this study, we investigated burrow temperatures of platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) living at a sub-alpine Tasmanian lake. Nine individual platypuses were equipped with time-depth recorders with integrated temperature sensors measuring ambient temperature. Burrow temperatures were recorded in two minute intervals for a total of 61 resting periods (duration: 5.45 to 27.20 hours) and were averaged over the period of resting. Mean burrow temperatures were 17.5 and 14.2°C (SD=2.76 and 0.89, respectively, n=9) in summer and winter, respectively, and ranged between 12.2 and 22.8°C for individual resting periods. In winter, burrow temperatures were held fairly constant over the resting period while in summer larger variations were observed. Burrow temperature in winter was found to be up to 18°C higher than outside air temperature.