Photo: C & D
Frith
Australian Tropical
Rainforest Life |
Short-beaked Echidna: Tachyglossus
aculeatus
- It is a monotreme, crepuscular (active early morning and early evening).
- The dorsal surface of the body and the tail is covered with spines.
- Fur is usually present between the spines.
- Have a long tubular snout.
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Habitat:
- The echidna has no particular habitat requirements
- Shelter is found beneath thick bushes in hollow logs, under debris or in burrows.
Diet:
- Forages around at dawn and dusk, and feeds on ants and termites.
- The echidna is a toothless animal, it invades an ant or termite nest with its
forepaws or snout and extends its long tongue into the chambers. Insects stick to the
stick saliva of the tongue and are drawn into the mouth. The insects are chewed between a
horny pad at the back of the tongue and a similar pad on the palate.
Social Behaviour:
Viewing Opportunities:
A difficult animal to predict as it rarely keeps the same route twice
Best viewed when crossing roadways early morning and early evening.
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