A photograph purportedly showing a baby platypus appeared on social media in July 2016, with one of the most popular versions of the image being distributed via the "Our Real Amazing World" Facebook page:
The picture doesn't depict an actual baby platypus, however, but rather a doll made by a Russian artist listed as "Oso Polar" on her Etsy page:
Platypus is handmade of sculpey living doll and fur fabric, painted with acrylics and sealed with matte finish. His eyes are glass (clear eyes laboratory).
Please keep in mind he's not posable. But he can turn slightly his head.
Please also keep in mind this is a one of a kind fully handmade artist doll and it requires careful handling and is not made for children. As a handmade work it may have some imperfections.Thank you for understanding.
Additional images of the "baby platypus" clearly show that this is a doll and not a real animal:
A photograph of real baby platypuses is featured at the top of this article.
It's not uncommon for dolls or art pieces to be mistaken for animals or babies in still photographs. In 2014, pictures of puppet creator Marina Yamkoskaia's creations were touted as showing real baby owls, and in 2015 a photograph of a doll by Lilah Pearsons was passed around as a photograph of "the darkest baby in the world."