What is the life cycle of the echidna?

Answer 1

A female wallaby is ready to breed from 14-19 months of age. She will give birth to embryonic young that are extremely undeveloped. The tiny newborn joey is blind, hairless, and about the size of a bean. When it is born, it crawls into its mother's pouch where it attaches to one of the teats which swells inside the joey's mouth, ensuring it will not be dislodged when the mother moves. The joey is reay to leave the pouch permanently at about 8-9 months of age, but is likely to remain in its mother's home range until it is around 2 years old.

Wild red-necked wallabies live 7-10 years, while in captivity this period extends to 12-15 years.

Answer 2

The echidna is a monotreme, or egg-laying mammal.

After mating, there is a gestation period for the egg of 23 days. During breeding season, the female develops a rudimentary pouch which is really just a flap of skin. When it comes time to lay her egg, she curls tightly into a ball and lays it directly in this pouch, where it is incubated for around 10 days. The young emerge blind and hairless, and stay in the pouch, suckling for two to three months.

Once the baby echidna develops spines, the mother moves it into a burrow. It continues to suckle for the next six months, whilst also being introduced to ants and termites.

Answer 3

The echidna, sometimes referred to as the spiny anteater, has a lifespan of between 45 and 55 years.

In the wild, due to predation and being hit by cars, their life span may average around 16 years.

Answer 4

Echidnas have a lifespan of between 45 and 55 years.

In the wild, due to predation and being hit by cars, their life span may average around 16 years.

Answer 5

Echidnas reproduce sexually, and lay eggs instead of giving live birth. The echidna, like the platypus, is a monotreme, meaning it is an egg-laying mammal.