SHORT-NOSED ECHIDNA
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Mammal
Order Monotremata
Description
Head and body length is 13 - 20 inches, tail: 3 inches. Weight:
13 lbs. The spines, which cover most of the body, measure up to 2 inches.
They are usually yellow at the base and black at the tip, or, less frequently,
entirely yellow. These specialized hairs are generally large, hollow, and
thin- walled. In some individuals the brown or black body fur is almost
concealed by the spines, but in the Tasmanian subspecies the short spines
are largely hidden by the fur. The underparts lack spines but are covered
with fur and thick bristles.
Range
Australia, Tasmania, and central and southern New Guinea.
Status
Becoming rare in areas due to loss of forested areas to farming
activity.

Photo © Greg Neise |
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Ecology
- Habitat
- The short nosed echidna frequents a variety of habitats including forests,
rocky areas, hilly tracts, and sandy plains. It shelters either in burrows
or in crevices among rocks, and it emerges late in the afternoon or at
night.
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- Niche
- Insectivorous. Feeds almost exclusively on ants and termites. May be
active day or night.
Life History
These marsupials are solitary for most of the year with home ranges averaging
2,627 feet in diameter. The height of the breeding season is in July and
August. Gestation is 9-27 days after which the single egg is deposited in
the pouch directly from the cloaca. Incubation in the pouch is about 10
- 11 days. After hatching the young spends about 55 days in the pouch before
being ejected. A captive lifespan of 50 years has been recorded.
Special Adaptations
- Long powerful snouts are used to break open logs to retrieve food.
- The long sticky tongue is then used to ingest ants or termites.
- Long powerful claws are used for digging and unearthing insects.
- During the breeding season, females develop a crescentic fold of skin
on the abdomen which forms a pocket in which a single egg is deposited
and incubated.
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