10 Mythical Creatures That Actually Existed
3. Platypus
The Myth: The myth of the platypus is an interesting one due to the obvious fact that the creature exists, but what we know now, and what people believed in Europe in the 18th century is a different story. The platypus was first described by Captain John Hunter in 1798.
Hunter sent a platypus pelt and a sketch of the animal to Britain, which was a common thing for sailors and naturalists to do when they found a new species. Unfortunately, the naturalists in Britain didn't believe the animal could possibly exist, and as a result, a myth grew surrounding a very real animal.
The Reality: The platypus was finally described in scientific literature by George Shaw, who wrote:
"A degree of skepticism is not only pardonable, but laudable; and I ought perhaps to acknowledge that I almost doubt the testimony of my own eyes with respect to the structure of this animal's beak; yet must confess that I can perceive no appearance of any deceptive preparation; ... nor can the most accurate examination of expert anatomists discover any deception in this particular."
The platypus is such a strange animal that its first description in scientific literature came with a caveat regarding its authenticity, which makes perfect sense when you think about it.