Echidna

Echidna species shuffle through Australian forests, deserts, and highlands, covered in protective spines made of keratin. Beneath the sharp armor lies dense fur that insulates against scorching summers and frosty winters. Their tubular snouts house electroreceptors similar to those of platypuses, allowing echidnas to sense the faint bioelectric signals of burrowing ants and termites. Powerful claws and muscular forelimbs tear open logs or anthills, while sticky tongues up to 18 centimeters long lap up insects.

Echidnas, like platypuses, are monotremes that lay eggs. After mating, the female deposits a single leathery egg into her pouch, where it hatches after about ten days. The jellybean-sized puggle remains in the pouch for several weeks, nursing from milk patches. Once spines begin to grow, the mother parks the young in a burrow and returns to feed it every few days until it is weaned at seven months.

Echidnas are solitary wanderers. When threatened, they dig rapidly into soil, leaving only spines exposed, or curl into a prickly ball. They have low body temperatures and enter torpor during cold weather, slowing metabolism to conserve energy. Because they lack teeth, echidnas grind insects against horn-like pads on their tongues and palate.

Threats include habitat fragmentation, vehicle strikes, and predation by foxes and feral cats. Bushfires remove fallen logs that shelter echidnas and diminish insect prey. Conservation actions focus on creating wildlife crossings, controlling invasive predators, and retaining coarse woody debris. Citizen scientists log echidna sightings on apps like EchidnaCSI, providing data for researchers.

Students investigate echidna adaptations by comparing monotreme skeletons, modeling long tongues, or measuring how spines distribute force. By slowing down near wildlife warning signs, planting native shrubs that harbor insects, and keeping pets indoors at night, communities help these shy, armored mammals continue their slow march across Australia’s bushland.