Short-Beaked Echidna

..Tachyglossus aculeatus
"spiny swift-tongue"

This is Snuffles. You can read her story at. Echidna Care

other names

Spiny Anteater or Short-Beaked Echidna

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DESCRIPTION

Head and body length 30 - 45cm, weight 2 - 7kg. Surface of body and redimentary tail covered in spines. Fur usually present between spines, more fur in cooler climates (in Tasmania fur sometimes obscures the spines). Long tubular nose.

The Echidna is easily recognised by the covering of spines across it's body which is a safety mechanism for the animal. When threatened the Echidna will bury into the ground, or curl into a tight ball, and raise its spines, or quills, so that it cannot be handled easily. Between the spines is soft hair, longer in cooler climates and shorter in warmer areas. The Echidna can be found throughout all of Australia where ever there are ants or termites present, as this is their main diet source. The Echidna has no teeth, but a very long tongue, which extends into ant mounds. It's tongue is coated with a sticky saliva substance which the ants stick too. Dirt and ant nest material is also ingested. The Echidna is a solitary animal occupying overlapping ranges, but it does not have fixed nest sites. Nests are only used for incubating and suckling the young, which are called Puggles. Normal shelter is under thick bushes, hollow logs and other debris, and the Echidna will often use rabbit and wombat burrows as well. During extreme weather such as intense heat, the Echidna will shelter for most of the day, and will forage at night. In cold weather, as seen in the Snowy Mountain region of NSW, the Echidna will hibernate. Mating occurs in July and August and approximately two weeks after copulation a single, soft shelled egg is laid, which is carried in the pouch. After 10 days the egg will hatch and the puggle will lick and suck at milk that is excreted from pores in the pouch. The puggle will remain in the pouch until its spines develop, at around three months of age, and then it will be left in the nest while the mother Echidna forages nearby. As it gets older the Puggle will be left for longer periods and the mother will return every couple of days to feed it. The period of suckling milk is unknown but it is considered that the Puggle will stay in the nest for approximately one year. Juveniles begin to be seen from September to November weighing approximately 1 to 2 kilograms. The Echidna can be found throughout all of mainland Australia and Tasmania but distribution is sparse, particularly in arid and built up regions.