One of the 3 long-beaked echidnas on WAnimals
Mammals · Monotremata · Tachyglossidae
Tachyglossus aculeatus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
It is one of only five living mammals that lay eggs (the monotremes), alongside the platypus and three species of long-beaked echidna.
Weight
2 kg – 7 kg
Size
30 cm – 50 cm
Life expectancy
45 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Crepuscular
Active mainly at dawn and dusk.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Potawatomi Zoo; ScienceDirect (body mass age maturity study); Know Your Mammals; AnimalHub; PMC (gut microbiota study)
Best time: From June to September, in the breeding season, when the characteristic 'trains' form, with several males following a female.
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 53.
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Short-beaked Echidna — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Based on what we already know about short-beaked echidna.
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the short-beaked echidna.
Be the first to comment.
The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.