My infatuation for these semi-aquatic animals blossomed from the arrival of a package one February evening. Inside the delivery lay a rotund, soft, adorable platypus plush toy I named “Wumper.” Wumper was the inspiration for my deep love of platypuses.

Once I realized that my fixation was not just on the plush toy, but on the animal itself, I began to delve into researching the little beast.

Platypuses are an absolute oxymoron of a mammal, from their borderline bioluminescence when put under UV light to the fact that they sweat milk, these freaks of nature had me hooked. Out of all their oddities, strangest of all may be the hormone within their venom (yes, they are venomous.)

Resistant to morphine and hellishly potent, the venom of a male platypus is not something you want to be stung with. Male platypuses have a spur on their back feet which is responsible for injecting the venom into attackers or prey. Platypus venom is outlandishly packed with what’s called “GLP-1 hormone” or “glucagon-like peptide.” This hormone is commonly found in many drugs used to treat diabetics. 

Why would this be at all related to why I love platypuses? Well, my father is a type-1 diabetic. He’s a statistical outlier, having developed it at age 30, with no known family history. I’ve seen many seizures and insulin injections throughout my childhood, and while it doesn’t bother me, it does make me wish I could do something. When I found out that platypus venom contained GLP-1, I was intrigued by the prospect that I could pursue my dream of studying these creatures and potentially help my father and others struggling with diabetes.