Just take 39 steps down to the river at dawn or dusk and visit our shy, elusive platypus. You need to approach quietly to spot the little creature as they bob up and down busily feeding. When the platypus is under water, it closes its eyes, ears and nostrils. Most information about its environment is obtained from electroreceptors in the skin of the bill. The receptors enable it to identify electrical fields created by the muscle movements of its prey.