Short-beaked Echidna

Labelled as spiny anteater
Tachyglossus aculeatus

Where is it found?
Many habitats from semi-desert to grasslands

Diet and foraging method

They forage during day and night, using sense of smell and electrical sensors in the tip of their snout.

Key adaptations

Spiny Anteaters are covered in spines to protect them from predators. They also have clawed front paws making them powerful diggers for creating burrows for shelter or to dig out prey.

Social organisation and mating system

Picture
Solitary
Picture
Polygynous

Did you know that...?

Echidnas are very primitive mammals and lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Echidnas retain the egg in their pouch even after its hatched until the young are around 55 days old.

Taxonomy

Picture

Picture credits:

Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Wild shortbeak echidna". Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_shortbeak_echidna.jpg#/media/File:Wild_shortbeak_echidna.jpg
"Echinda burningwell" by Allan Whittome (Whitto) - http://www.burningwell.org/gallery2/v/Animals/echinda.jpg.html. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Echinda_burningwell.jpg#/media/File:Echinda_burningwell.jpg
"Tachyglossus-gould" by John Gould - Mammals of Australia (1849-1861). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tachyglossus-gould.jpg#/media/File:Tachyglossus-gould.jpg