Short-beaked Echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus
The adult short-beaked echidna lives across much of Australia and nearby islands, using forests, heathlands, grasslands, and arid country wherever shelter and insects are available. It is usually solitary and often active at night or in cooler parts of the day, feeding mainly on ants and termites. Strong forelimbs and long claws let it tear into soil, logs, and termite mounds, while its dense spines make it difficult for predators to bite. It is one of the few egg-laying mammals, a distinctive feature of monotremes.
- Type
- Burrow / Shell
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Short-beaked Echidna