Short-beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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

Lifespan

45 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Crepuscular

Active above all at dawn and dusk.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestDesertInsectivore Crepuscular Solitary Temperate forest Desert Mammal

3countries 53parks2same family

Fun facts

It is exceptionally long-lived for its size, ageing remarkably slowly.
It eats ants and termites, drawn out on its long sticky tongue.
It lives in a wide range of habitats in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, from forest to arid country.
reproducciónIt lays eggs like the platypus and, once they hatch, feeds the young through milk pores in the skin, having no teats.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (monotreme mammal, egg-laying)
Habitat & environment: A wide range of habitats in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, from forest to arid country
Birth weight: ~0.3-0.38 grams on hatching from the egg
Size at birth: Hatches from a soft egg incubated in the mother's pouch for ~10 days
Sexual maturity: 5-12 years according to field studies, among the latest maturity of any small mammal
Gestation / incubation: 22-23 days of gestation before the egg is laid, plus 10-11 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 1 egg per clutch
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 49.5-50 years in captivity

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)