Echidna
DESCRIPTION
The echidna is one of the only two living monotremes in the world. Its strange adaptations make it an extremely unique Australian native animal.
The echidna has spikey quills that can help them avoid being eaten by predators. When they sense danger, they dig vertically down very quickly and bury all but their spikes for protection.
Echidnas feed primarily on ants, termites, and their larvae, using their long beak and sticky tongue to reach into termite mounds. They are a small animal, but they can live up to 45 years in the wild.
At breeding time, from late winter to early spring, you may be lucky enough to see an “echidna train.” This is an incredible site, with lines or circles of 10 or 11 male echidnas line up behind a female until she is ready to mate. They are very patient creatures.
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