Echidna
Echidna
Echidna (/ɪˈkɪdnə/), also known as spiny anteaters, are a type of monotreme that are native to Australia and New Guinea. The term "echidna" is derived from the Greek creature, Echidna, who was half-woman and half-snake, as the animal echidna is a combination of mammalian and reptilian features.
Description
Echidnas are covered in coarse hair and spines, and have a distinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which they use to catch their prey at a great speed. Similar to other monotremes, female echidnas lay eggs. The echidnas are known for their elongated and slender snouts that function as both mouth and nose.
Diet
Echidnas are carnivorous. Their diet consists largely of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the true anteaters of the Americas. They lack teeth and break down their food by grinding it between the bottoms of their mouths and their tongues.
Classification
Echidnas and the platypus are the only egg-laying mammals, known as monotremes. The echidna is classified under the family Tachyglossidae. The four extant species of Echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the only surviving members of the order Monotremata.
Habitat
Echidnas live in forests and woodlands, hiding under vegetation and roots. They are found in parts of New Guinea and Australia.
Reproduction
The female echidna lays a single soft-shelled, leathery egg 22 days after mating, and deposits it directly into her pouch. The gestation period is about ten days.
See also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Echidna
- Wikipedia's article - Echidna
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