Echidnas
Short-beaked Echidnas (
Tachyglossus aculeatus) are
small animals with long snouts, stiff spines, and claws
adapted to digging. Echidnas are found throughout the
Australian mainland, Tasmania, and some of the islands
near Australia. Echidnas are part of an ancient order of
mammals called "monotremes", the egg-laying mammals. The
only other monotremes alive today are the Platypus and
the Long-beaked Echidna. This last species is extremely
rare, found only in the remotest areas of New Guinea.
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This Echidna is either
drinking brackish water near the ocean or hunting for
buried creatures.
Echidnas have long bills
and spine-like hairs on their back. The undercoat is
thicker on Echidnas which live in colder
locations.
Echidnas have
backward-facing rear feet. These are ideal for their
digging lifestyle.
If alarmed, an Echidna
can quickly dig down into sand or soil leaving only a
ball of spines exposed to would-be predators.
Once any sign of danger
has passed, an Echidna quickly returns to
foraging.
Echidnas don't see very
well, even when not covered with sand.
Here you can see that
the Echidna's rear feet face backwards.
Echidna footprints.
Despite being relatively
small, Echidnas are expert at climbing over a
surprising variety of surfaces and terrains.
Echidna's probe sand,
soil, and rotten wood seeking bugs to eat.