ECHIDNA

'Echidnas', , sometimes also referred to as "spiny anteaters", are the only surviving monotremes apart from the Platypus. The four surviving species, native to New Guinea and Australia, all belong to the 'Tachyglossidae' family. The echidna is named after a monster in ancient Greek mythology.

Contents

Taxonomy

''Zaglossus''

''Tachyglossus''

''Megalibgwilia''

Description

In popular culture

References

External links

Taxonomy

Echidnas are classified into three genera. The ''Zaglossus'' genus includes three extant species and two species known only from fossils, while only one species from the genus ''Tachyglossus'' is known. The third genus, ''Megalibgwilia'', is only known from fossils.

''Zaglossus''

The three living ''Zaglossus'' species are endemic to New Guinea. They are rare and are hunted for food. They forage in leaf litter on the forest floor, eating earthworms and insects. The species are:

★ the Western Long-beaked Echidna (''Zaglossus bruijni'') of the highland forests

★ Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna (''Zaglossus attenboroughi''), recently discovered, prefers a still higher habitat

★ the Eastern Long-beaked Echidna (''Zaglossus bartoni''), of which four distinct subspecies have been identified
The two fossil species are:

★ ''Zaglossus robustus''

★ ''Zaglossus hacketti''

''Tachyglossus''

The Short-beaked Echidna (''Tachyglossus aculeatus'') is found in southeast New Guinea and also occurs in almost all Australian environments, from the snow-clad Australian Alps to the deep deserts of the Outback, essentially anywhere that ants and termites are available. Its size is smaller than the ''Zaglossus'' species, and it has longer hair.

''Megalibgwilia''

The genus ''Megalibgwilia'' is only known from fossils:

★ ''Megalibgwilia ramsayi'' known from Late Pleistocene sites in Australia

★ ''Megalibgwilia robusta'' known from Miocene sites in Australia

Description

Echidnas are small mammals that are covered with coarse hair and spines. Superficially they resemble both the anteaters of South America and other spiny mammals like hedgehogs and porcupines. They have snouts which have the functions of both the mouth and nose. Their snouts are elongated and slender. They have very short, strong limbs with large claws and are powerful diggers. Echidnas have a tiny mouth and a toothless jaw. They feed by tearing open soft logs, anthills and the like, and use their long, sticky tongue which protrudes from their snout to collect their prey. The Short-beaked Echidna's diet consists largely of ants and termites, while the ''Zaglossus'' species typically eat worms and insect larvae.

The four species of echidna, along with the Platypus, are the only egg-laying mammals, known as monotremes. The female lays a single soft-shelled, leathery egg twenty-two days after mating and deposits it directly into her pouch. Hatching takes ten days; the young echidna, called a puggle, then sucks milk from the pores of the two milk patches (monotremes have no nipples) and remains in the pouch for forty-five to fifty-five days, at which time it starts to develop spines. The mother digs a nursery burrow and deposits the puggle, returning every five days to suckle it until it is weaned at seven months.

In popular culture

★ Some characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series are echidnas, including Knuckles and Tikal, although they do not closely resemble real echidnas.

★ In the children's British-made TV series ''The Koala Brothers'', Sammy the Echidna runs the general store.

★ An echidna named Millie was used as one of the mascots for the 2000 Olympic Games.

★ The Pokémon Cyndaquil bears a resemblance to the echidna.

★ ''Echidnas Arf (Of You)'' is the name of an instrumental track on the 1974 music recording ''Roxy & Elsewhere'' by Frank Zappa and the Mothers.

References

★ Flannery, T.F. and Groves, C.P. (1998) A revision of the genus ''Zaglossus'' (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with description of new species and subspecies. ''Mammalia'' '62', 367-396.

★ Parker, J., "Echidna Love Trains", "Scribbly Gum" online magazine.

★ Rismiller, P., "Echidnas and Goannas of Kangaroo Island", Earthwatch Institute.

External links

★ "The Enigma of the Echidna" by Doug Stewart, ''National Wildlife,'' April/May 2003.

★ Scribbly Gum - Australian Broadcasting Corporation online magazine, article "Echidna Love Trains": Echidna spotting, Trains (breeding behaviour), The amazing puggle (young), Species, Dreaming (REM sleep), Managing populations; June 2000