Scientifically informed and funny, a firsthand account of Australia’s wonderfully unique mammals—and how our perceptions impact their future. Think of a platypus: They lay eggs (that hatch into so-called platypups), produce milk without nipples and venom without fangs, and can detect electricity. Or a wombat: Their teeth never stop growing, they poop cubes, and they defend themselves with reinforced rears. And what about antechinuses—tiny marsupial carnivores whose males don’t see their first birthday, as their frenzied sex lives take so much energy that their immune systems fail? Platypuses, possums, wombats, echidnas, devils, kangaroos, quolls, dibblers, dunnarts, kowaris: Australia has some truly astonishing mammals, with incredible, unfamiliar features. But how does the world regard these creatures? And what does that mean for their conservation? In Platypus Matters , naturalist Jack Ashby shares his love for these often-misunderstood animals. Informed by his own experiences meeting living marsupials and egg-laying mammals during fieldwork in Tasmania and mainland Australia, as well as his work with thousands of zoological specimens collected for museums over the last two-hundred-plus years, Ashby’s tale not only explains historical mysteries and debunks myths (especially about the platypus), but also reveals the toll these myths can take. Ashby makes clear that calling these animals “weird” or “primitive”—or incorrectly implying that Australia is an “evolutionary backwater,” a perception that can be traced back to the country’s colonial history—has undermined conservation: Australia now has the worst mammal extinction rate of any place on Earth. Important, timely, and written with humor and wisdom by a scientist and self-described platypus nerd, this celebration of Australian wildlife will open eyes and change minds about how we contemplate and interact with the natural world—everywhere. "Charming, informative. . . . Ashby’s intoxication with Australia’s mammals makes for a marvelous read. . . . Platypus Matters is full of astonishing facts that are certain to have you thinking differently about Australia’s unique mammalian fauna and on occasion questioning the wisdom of the evolutionary process." -- Tim Flannery ― New York Review of Books "Ashby’s spirited tour of the Australian bestiary is not only a convincing defense of his thesis, but a revelation to readers unfamiliar with the intricacies of platypus biology, and unacquainted with nabarleks, dunnarts, and other indigenous Australian fauna. . . . Ashby is not being pedantic in his insistence that Australian fauna do not get enough respect. 'The current narrative,' he maintains, 'hinders environmental conservation.' Thirty-seven percent of all recent mammal extinctions on Earth, he notes, happened in Australia, and the effects of bushfires, aggravated by climate change, augur a perilous future. Hopefully, Ashby’s book of wonders will not only delight, but will also inspire increased efforts to preserve Australia’s wildlife through the perilous decades to come." ― Natural History "Building on his considerable scientific knowledge and decades of field experience, Ashby immerses readers in all things platypus. . . . I’ll be the first to admit that I’m guilty of describing platypus as ‘weird,’ as well as wonderful. To me, their weirdness is what makes them wonderful. But after reading this book, I have to agree with Ashby that it’s all too easy for the platypus-besotted among us to forget that terms like ‘weird’ and ‘primitive’ have long been weaponized to undermine the value of the creatures they describe. Ashby argues that how we talk about Australia’s animals influences how we value them, and therefore how much we’re willing to protect them. And, in a country with the worst mammal extinction rate in the world, that matters. Platypus Matters is a must-read for any mammal nerd or Aussie wildlife enthusiast." -- Justine E. Hausheer ― Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science "An engaging natural (and enraging colonial) history. . . Given our seemingly unwavering commitment to destruction via global warming and environmental predation, Ashby has his work cut out for him in making us care about the natural world’s most unusual inhabitants. Still, his efforts, like those of everyone pushing back against what feels like an unstoppable tide, are crucial to building a coalition that understands the platypus—like the planet sustaining it and us—matters." ― Washington Independent Review of Books "From platypuses and possums, through wombats, echidnas, devils, and kangaroos, to quolls, dibblers, dunnarts, and kowaris, Ashby knows them all; and in his recently published Platypus Matters , he guides his readers on a tour of their lives, their evolutionary stories, and the challenges they face in the modern world." ― Well-read Naturalist "Fascinating. . . . This is wonderfully dorky stuff. . . . But there’s much more going on here than Orn