Melbourne’s Healesville Sanctuary welcomes twin platypus boys

Melbourne’s Healesville sanctuary has welcomed twin platypus boys after they emerged from their dirt burrow for the first time.

The twins which have been feeding from their mother for the last four months and have had their first swim in the last couple of days.

Thirteen-year-old mother Binarri and six-year-old father Terrabi were spotted courting last year, and soon after Binarri began nesting.

The twins are now fully independent from their mother.

“The babies are so naïve and inquisitive at the moment, they just keep exploring there new environment they get up and eats lots worms,” zoo keeper Jessica Thomas told 9NEWS.

While it’s not very common to breed platypuses in captivity, the sanctuary has had success in recent years.

“We’ve had a lot of success in the last decade we’ve had quite a few sets of twins and a couple of singles as well,” she said.

The twins’ personalities have already begun to shine through; zookeepers say one seems to be very bold and boisterous while his brother is more shy and cautious.

They currently weigh about 600 grams, which is about half the weight they will end up reaching.

Healesville Sanctuary has started a naming competition for the twins, currently dubbed “twin A” and “twin B”.

The keepers have said they would prefer the platypus have Woiwurrung (traditional Wurrundjeri language) or Indigenous names.