Echidna

family of mammals

Echidna, the spiny anteater,[1] is a monotreme that lives in Australia and in New Guinea. They are the living members of the family Tachyglossidae.

Echidna
Temporal range: Miocene–Holocene
Tachyglossus aculeatus side on.jpg
Short-beaked echidna
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Monotremata
Suborder: Tachyglossa
Family: Tachyglossidae
Gill, 1872
Species

Genus Tachyglossus
   T. aculeatus
Genus Zaglossus
   Z. attenboroughi
   Z. bruijnii
   Z. bartoni
   †Z. hacketti
   †Z. robustus
Genus †Megalibgwilia
   †M. ramsayi
   †M. robusta

An Echnida looking for food

Echnidas have a long, tube-like mouth with a sticky tongue. They are also covered in spines. They have mammary glands, and lay eggs.[2]

The echidna has a method of protecting itself. With its long, sharp claws, they quickly dig a hole until only their spines are showing when they are hiding in the hole. The predator will not be able to get it without injuring itself on the spines. When there is a fire, the echidna will dig down out of reach of the fire.

PreyEdit

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus) eats termites and ants. The three Zaglossus species also eat other small insects and grubs. Echidnas pick up the prey with their sticky tongues.

SpeciesEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. Echidna Retrieved on 21 October 2007
  2. "7 things you might not know about echidnas". www.environment.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-12-04.

Other websitesEdit