Short-Beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus

Animal Class: Mammal

Length: 12-18 inches

Weight: 4-15 pounds

Lifespan: 15-40 years

Diet: Insects, particularly ants and termites

Habitat: Australia and a small part of New Guinea

Description: Echidnas are a unique species of mammal, and one of the most unusual things about them is that they are monotremes, mammals that lay eggs instead of live young. Echidna mothers lay eggs into a small, backward-facing pouch. When they hatch, their babies are called “puggles.”

Echidnas are covered with fur that can range from reddish to dark brown color. The spines on the backs of echidnas are modified hairs that vary in color from cream to black. Each spine of the echidna is formed from a single hair, and they can reach up to 2 inches long.

The echidna uses all four feet to dig. The front feet of the echidna have five flattened claws, designed to dig burrows and tear open logs and termite mounds. Their hind feet point backwards enabling the soil to be pushed away when burrowing. They also use their back claws for grooming.

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Our Animals: Teddy. This animal is an ambassador animal.

Photo Credit: benjamint444, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons