Syd the platypus, named for the city of the 2000 Games, is a dynamic fellow — a team player and a natural leader whose energy and vigour reflects that of Australia and its people. Syd admires all athletes — he's the mascot trio's resident cheerleader — and his motivational skills can inspire anyone to bring home the gold. Quite a sportsman himself, Syd's sturdy body and muscular limbs give him the speed and agility to excel at most sports, although swimming is his favourite. Even if he doesn't win a race he'll always finish, because it's not so much winning that counts to him as how he plays the game. In fact, there are only two things that get up Syd's snout — bad sports and environmental vandals. An easygoing bloke most of the time, if Syd sees anybody littering the land or polluting the water he won't hesitate to thump his tail and let them know what he thinks. It is because he cares so deeply about our world that Syd was chosen as the environmental mascot.

About the platypus
The platypus, or "duckbilled platypus", has the bill of a duck, the body of the otter, the tail of a beaver, large webbed forefeet and a double coat of fur. Living as part of a family group — the plural of platypus is platypi — the platypus makes its home in vast, intricate tunnels which it digs into the sides of river banks and creeks (some tunnels can extend over 20 metres). While the platypus can move on land to get around, the webbing on its front feet extends below the toes, making it a little slow and ungainly. On the other hand, it's thanks to those same big webbed feet and flat paddle tail that the platypus is in its element underwater. It is beneath the surface that the platypus finds the crustaceans, molluscs, frogs, worms and insect larvae that form its diet. Interestingly, while underwater, the platypus closes its eyes, nostrils and ears, relying solely on the sensitivity of its bill to locate its food. Like the echidna, the platypus is a monotreme, or an egg-laying mammal.