THE WSHORT-BEAKED ECHIDNA

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is found

throughout Australia and southern New Guinea. The males
grows to a length of about 30 cm and weighs up to 7 kg; the
females are slightly smaller. Echidnas can live for up to 45
years. Echidnas live in forests, woodlands, deserts and
mountains. They are generally crepuscular (most active at
dusk and dawn) and nocturnal. In winter, they become torpid
or hiberate and are rarely seen.

The echidna's coat is made of coarse hairs and spines

(modified hairs) that feel like finger nails. The spines are
large and hollow walled for insulation; underneath the
spines, the animal is covered in fur. The fur varies in colour
from blond to black; most echidnas are dark. The echidna
also has a short tail which is easier to see in the skeleton.
When an animal feels threatened, it will burrow into the
ground leaving the spines sticking out to deter any further
attacks. Male echidnas have spurs and venom glands but
they are non-functional.

The short-beaked echidna has a long sticky tongue perfect

for catching ants, its main prey, termites and insect larvae.
The tongue and the roof of the mouth are covered with
spines to grind up insect skeletons, making it easier for the
animal to digest its food.

Echidnas are solitary animals, only coming together during

the mating season, which lasts from two to three weeks in
July to August. During this time, the female is followed by a
'train' of males; eventually she choses a mate but how is not
known. The female usually gives birth to only one leathery
egg. The egg is placed into a 'pouch' made by folds of skin,
where it hatches after ten days. The foetus has an egg tooth,
like reptiles and birds, which it uses to break open the
leathery eggshell. The young feeds by licking milk from
secretory patches on the mother's skin. It is carried in the
pouch until its spines begin to grow when the mother places
it in a nursery burrow hollowed in the ground. She returns
frequently to feed the young echidna, which becomes
independent in a year.