The platypus lives in and around smaller bodies of water in Eastern Australia and Tasmania, such as fresh water creeks, slow moving rivers, and lakes that flow into rivers. They make a burrow in a river bank just above the water, often hidden in tangles of roots and such. They can live in very diverse climates, from the tropicals of North Queensland to the snowy mountains of Tasmania. It spends half of its day on land looking for food. The rest of its time is spent moving across land, in its burrow, or sun bathing. On land it moves at just under a mile per hour, but in water it moves a little over 2 miles per hour.