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

 

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.
 
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.