An ancient Indigenous Aboriginal dreamtime story about platypus begins with a young duck who disregarded her tribe’s warning of Mulloka the water devil. She travelled down a creek far from the tribe and was taken by a large water rat called Biggoon. She eventually escaped and returned to her family where she laid two eggs that hatched as platypuses. They had soft fur instead of feathers, four webbed feet instead of two and spurs on their hind legs, like Biggoon’s spear. Brandon Phillips' semi-aquatic platypus has turquoise eyes and a wonderful bill. Turquoise inlays and a great cross-hatched tail decorate this approximately 2 1/4" long, 1 1/8" wide and 1/2" tall marble water creature. Wild platypus populations are in rapid decline because of land clearing, pollution, severe drought and shrinking fresh water habitats.