Overview

The short-beaked echidna is one of only five monotreme mammals on Earth — it lays leathery eggs like a reptile, then nurses its puggle in a pouch. Covered in spines with a long snout and sticky tongue, it trundles through Australian bush probing for ants and termites.

When threatened, an echidna curls into an impregnable spiny ball — only the soft belly remains exposed, and even that is protected as spines fold inward. They are found across Australia and in Papua New Guinea.

Habitat

Forest, scrub, grassland, and desert across Australia and Tasmania suit short-beaked echidnas. They are active by day in cooler weather and at night in hot regions, foraging for ants, termites, and beetle larvae.