The habitat of the platypus has shrunk by almost a quarter in just three decades

The habitat of the platypus has shrunk by almost a quarter in just three decades, researchers have warned. An egg-laying mammal known for its duck-like bill, the platypus is found in river systems in eastern Australia. But human intervention in those waterways, bad droughts and introduced predators - among other things - have ravaged its habitats, scientists say. The researchers and conservation groups have called for Australia to classify the species as nationally threatened. The habitat loss amounted to 22% - or about 200,000 sq km (77,000 sq miles) - since 1990, according to the team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). "Protecting the platypus and the rivers it relies on must be a national priority for one of the world's most iconic animals," said lead author Professor Richard Kingsford. "There is a real concern that platypus populations will disappear from some of our rivers without returning, if rivers keep degrading with droughts and dams." Which animals fare best and worst in fires? Extinction threat to overlooked species New South Wales had seen a 32% drop in platypus observations within the past 30 years, followed by Queensland (27%) and Victoria (7%), the research said. In some areas near Melbourne, however, the rate was as high as 65%.