Game Art and Machinima Research: Duck-Billed Platypus

By Stuart Brown

After looking into the Duck-billed Platypus, I have found they are even more unique than I originally thought. They are often described as a mixture of a duck (the webbed feet and beak) the beaver (the fatty tail) and an otter (body and fur.) They are one of the only mammals that lay eggs, and the males have poisonous spurs on the hind legs, which would cause extreme pain for humans and kill anything the size of the average dog or smaller. They are native to Australia and as they hunt underwater, they often live in burrows by riverbeds. They also have extremely sensitive beaks, for which they use to hunt. Strange as this may sound, they close their eyes and don't use their sense of smell to hunt. Their beaks have 'electroreceptors' that pick up prey almost like a sixth sense, and as they have no teeth, they have been known to pick up gravel to 'chew' their food.

Looking at this kind of creature, I have decided that in relation to reflect the actual animal the character should be wacky.  At the moment I'm thinking Aborigine, as this is also solely related to Australia and could convey the wackiness well, I will however keep my mind open and explore a wide variety of options. Here is a mood board of the creature, so I can bear in mind the atmosphere it gives when looking into other research for the character I will design.