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Echidna


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Echidna
Echidna
Echidna
Echidna
Echidna
Echidnas are known better as spiny anteaters, although they are not related to them, besides that fact that both anteaters and echidnas eat ants and termites. The echidna is found in parts of New Guinea and Australia.

The echidna has a long tongue around 18cm long that can whip in and out of its mouth at incredible speeds. This helps the echidna to forage for ants an termites.

The echidna was named after a monster in Greek mythology! The echidna can dig incredibly well due to its long claws, meaning that echidna are able to escape danger by digging straight down.

The echidna is a small mammal and the echidna has a long snout that acts as both the mouth and nose of the echidna. The echidna has no teeth and the echidna feeds by tearing soft logs apart and then using its long, sticky tongue to feed on the ants and termites that inhabit the log.

The echidna is a very special mammal and, along with the platypus, the echidna is the only other egg-laying mammal in the world. The echidna lays eggs that have a soft shell and are kept in the pouch of the female echidna until the eggs hatch in a couple of weeks. The young echidna remains in the pouch of the female echidna for around 50 weeks, when the baby echidna has grown spikes. The mother echidna then transfers the young echidna to a nursery burrow and returns every few days to feed the baby until it is around seven months old.

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Echidna Comments (6)

mad cat

"this site helped a lot"

Connor aged 8

"Thanks for the information. You are great. I live in NZ close to Australia and New Guinea but there are no echidnas here."

Winterrrr.

"I am doing a school project on this animal. This site helped(:"

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Echidna Facts

Kingdom:
A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....
Animalia
Phylum:
A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....
Chordata
Class:
A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....
Mammalia
Order:
A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....
Monotremata
Family:
A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....
Tachyglossidae
Genus:
A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....
Tachyglossus
Scientific Name:Tachyglossus Aculeatus
Type:Mammal
Diet:Carnivore
Size (L):35cm - 52cm (14in - 20in)
Weight:4kg - 7kg (9lbs - 15lbs)
Top Speed:30km/h (18mph)
Life Span:15 - 40 years
Lifestyle:Solitary
Conservation Status:
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...
Least Concern
Colour:Brown, Black, White
Skin Type:Spiky
Favourite Food:Ants
Habitat:
The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...
Cool and dry forests
Average Litter Size:1
Main Prey:
When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....
Ants, Termites, Insects
Predators:
When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...
Human, Eagle, Dingos
Distinctive Features:Long snout and spikes and curved claws

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