LOVED DOWN UNDER SINCE 1961
The Short-beaked Echidna is easily recognised by its sharp spines, short legs and long snout.
The Short-beaked Echidna lives in forests and woodlands, heath, grasslands and arid environments.
The Short-beaked Echidna is found throughout Australia, including Tasmania. Although it is found all over Australia, it is not as common in Sydney as it once was.
Using its pointed snout and sharp claws, the Short-beaked Echidna breaks into ant and termite nests and catches its prey by flicking its long sticky tongue in and out. It also catches a lot of dirt in the process and this is expelled in the droppings.
Like the Platypus, the Short-beaked Echidna is an egg-laying mammal or monotreme and lays one egg at a time. The eggs hatch after about 10 days and the young, emerge blind and hairless. Clinging to hairs inside the mother's pouch, the young echidna suckles for two or three months. Once it develops spines and becomes too prickly, the mother removes it from her pouch and builds a burrow for it. It continues to suckle for the next six months.
Species:
Short-beaked Echidna
Scientific Name:
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Fun Facts
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What I Eat:
Ants and termites
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Where I Live:
Forests, deserts, and grasslands in Australia
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My Baby Is Called:
A puggle
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Fun Fact:
I lay eggs, even though I am a mammal!
