Monotremes are a type of mammal that are found exclusively in Australia. The have some of the usual attributes of mammals ~ they have body hair, they are warm blooded and they produced milk from mammary glands to feed their young. However, while mammals give birth to live young after a period of gestation in which the embryo grows inside its mother's body, the monotreme does not.
Monotremes such as the spiny anteater and the duckbilled platypus lay eggs like reptiles. Because Australia was isolated from the other continents quite early on in prehistory, many species that evolved there are different to any others found anywhere in the world. Evolution in isolation is an interesting quirk.
Australia is also home to marsupials, another group of mammals with some odd characteristics. They don't lay eggs but their young are born very early in the development process and they need to be nourished in the mother's pouch before they become independent.
Monotremes such as the spiny anteater and the duckbilled platypus lay eggs like reptiles. Because Australia was isolated from the other continents quite early on in prehistory, many species that evolved there are different to any others found anywhere in the world. Evolution in isolation is an interesting quirk.
Australia is also home to marsupials, another group of mammals with some odd characteristics. They don't lay eggs but their young are born very early in the development process and they need to be nourished in the mother's pouch before they become independent.