One of the 3 long-beaked echidnas on WAnimals
Mammals · Monotremata · Tachyglossidae
Western Long-beaked Echidna
Zaglossus bruijnii
It faces an extremely high risk of imminent extinction in the wild. See full glossary
The western long-beaked echidna is a monotreme, one of only five living mammals that lay eggs. It inhabits the mountains of West Papua, in Indonesia, and feeds almost exclusively on earthworms, which it hooks with the barbs on its tongue. Its body is covered in spines mixed with dense fur, and it has a long snout curving downwards. It is critically endangered through hunting and forest loss, and for decades there was no confirmed record of the species.
Weight
5 kg – 10 kg
Size
45 cm – 77 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Very hard
Fun facts
- In November 2023 a scientific expedition filmed it alive in the Cyclops Mountains after more than sixty years without a confirmed record.
- Like all monotremes, the female lays a leathery egg that she incubates in a temporary pouch and then feeds the young on milk that seeps through the pores of her skin, since she has no teats.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Montane forest and alpine scrub of western New Guinea, between 1,300 and 4,000 m
- Size at birth
- Hatches from an egg the size of a grape and completes its development in the mother's pouch
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year in the montane forests of the Doberai Peninsula, in western New Guinea, at night; it is extremely hard to observe.
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Western Long-beaked Echidna — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Eastern Long-beaked Echidna
Zaglossus bartoni
Common Phalanger
Phalanger orientalis
Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis
White's Tree Frog
Litoria caerulea
Common Spotted Cuscus
Spilocuscus maculatus
Brown Tree Snake
Boiga irregularis
How to help
The western long-beaked echidna is classified as critically endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 1 real protected area — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about western long-beaked echidna.
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