Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
- Family: Tachyglossidae (Echidnas), Monotremes
- Class: Mammals
DESCRIPTION
The Echidna is easily recognised by its covering of long spines and fur in between. They possess a rudimentary tail and a long, tubular snout. They rarely weigh more than seven kilograms.
DISTRIBUTION
Unlike many small to medium sized Australian mammals the Echidna has not suffered such dramatic reductions in distribution and abundance. They are fairly common across Australia including Tasmania, though higher density populations are found on islands where foxes do not occur (e.g. Kangaroo Island and Tasmania).
HABITAT
The Echidna appears to be found in all habitat types where ants and termites and other invertebrates are available, and there appears to be no other native mammal in Australia that can occupy such a diverse range of habitats. They shelter amongst thick bushes, hollow logs, under rocks, and occasionally old rabbit or wombat burrows and caves.
THREATS
Habitat destruction and alteration have undoubtedly affected the distribution and abundance of the Echidna despite still being regarded as common. Juveniles are thought to be predated on by goannas and adults are taken occasionally by foxes and dingoes.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Echidna is probably one of the best studied of the Australian mammals, due to its relative ease of capture, its abundance and its status as one of the only two Monotremes (along with the Platypus) found in Australia. Monotremes are an ancient group of mammals characterised by laying soft shelled eggs like many reptiles and suckling their young on milk from well developed mammary glands but no teats. They are now only found in Australia and New Guinea (though fossil evidence suggested a wider distribution previously). Their diet consists of ants, termites and a host of other invertebrates. The Echidna is an excellent digger with powerful arms, which allow them to open termite and ant mounds for food. They have no teeth and instead, insects are “chewed” between horny pads located at the back of the tongue and on the palate. They are solitary animals though occupy overlapping home ranges with no fixed nest sites. Mating occurs in July or August during which time a single female has been observed to be followed by a “train” of up to ten males. A single egg is laid two weeks after copulation and hatches after about ten days. The baby in the pouch sucks milk exuded from numerous pores as echidnas do not have well developed teats. Females construct burrows when incubating and suckling young and as the young develops, it is left in a nest while the mother is out foraging. Juveniles are first seen outside the burrow from September to November at a year of age and a weight of 1 – 2 kg. Echidnas are not strictly nocturnal and are often seen moving around during the afternoon, particularly in cooler weather. Their spiny covering provides excellent defence and they are also able to role into a ball, dig into the soil or wedge themselves into a rocky crevice with ease.