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Echidnas
Sometimes known as the spiny anteater, the echidna is an egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea. It has adapted to living in a variety of habitats, from deserts to mountains, as long as there is a ready source of its favorite food of termites. Questions and answers about echidnas can be found here.
315 Questions
What biome does an echidna live in?
Echidnas are found throughout most of Australia, and are highly adaptable to a wide range of environments, which has been one of the reasons why they are not threatened by habitat loss. They live anywhere from bushland and woodlands, rocky areas as long as the soil is loose enough to dig, snowy mountains, sandy plains, heath, grasslands, semi-arid environments and deserts. Echidnas can be found wherever there are termites and ants.
Echidnas in the south of Australia are nocturnal, but northern echidnas can frequently be seen during the day. In extreme weather they tend to stay in shelter, whether it be under rocks, within fallen trees or digging themselves into the ground.
The echidna found throughout Australia is the short-beaked echidna. It is also found in the lowlands of southeast New Guinea. The long-beaked echidna is a rarer species, found only in New Guinea. It ranges from low-level coastal regions to rainforests in mountainous areas.
No word in the whole entire universe rhymes with echidna. The name "Edna" could be a close rhyme.
Does an echidna have a hind leg spur?
The echidna has a spur on its hind legs but, unlike the platypus, the spur is not attached to a functional venom gland. The spur is also blunt.
Of course. Echidnas have very small eyes. Some sources state they have poor eyesight; more recent research indicates they have a more highly developed sense of sight than previously thought.
Are the spiny anteater and platypus amphibians?
The "spiny anteater" is only a nickname for echidna. Echidnas and platypuses are monotremes which means egg laying mammals.
Do hedgehogs and echidnas show an example of divergent evolution?
Hedgehogs and echidnas show convergent evolution.
Despite being far apart, they ended up looking very similar.
Like sharks and dolphins.
No; echidnas, unlike porcupines, are not members of the rodent family. Echidnas are monotremes, or egg-laying mammals.
What animals in the US are similar to the echidna?
There is no animal in the US similar to the echidna. The echidna is a monotreme, and monotremes are found only on the continent of Australia, while one species of echidna is found in New Guinea.
How do you catch an echidna without hurting it or spiking yourself?
To begin with, it is illegal to catch an echidna. They are protected native anbimals.
If one wishes to catch an injured echidna, it is far better to notify a wildlife carer or ranger so they can catch it carefully.
Does the dingo start to eat the echidna while it is still alive?
No. Dingoes tend to kill their prey before they attempt to eat them.
How does the spiny echidna differ from most other mammals?
The echidna, also known as the spiny anteater, is different from most other mammals because it is a mammal that lays eggs.
It is a monotreme, meaning it is an egg-laying mammal. The only other mammal species which lays eggs is the platypus.
What adaptations have echidnas made to live in Australia?
The echidna is an egg-laying mammal of both Australia and New Guinea. The short-beaked echidna is the only species found in Australia. Adaptations of the echidna which enable it to live within a variety of habitats throughout Australia include:
- A long tongue with sticky saliva, with which it eats termites and ants.
- A long snout which makes it easy for the echidna to burrow for ants, termites and worms.
- During breeding season, the female echidna develops a pouch, where she lays and incubates her egg. Although the pouch is little more than a fold of skin, it protects the egg from would-be predators such as goannas.
- The echidna has sharp claws for digging, and this ability to dig effectively is helped by its compact, muscular body shape and strong forelegs. When threatened, they can dig very, very quickly into the earth, disappearing horizontally, leaving only their quills exposed while they burrow.
- The echidna is very adaptable, living in a wide variety of climates and environments, from sub-alpine regions to arid semi-desert - wherever there are termites and ants.
- Echidnas burrow as a protective defence, leaving only the spines exposed to the potential predator.
- Echidnas are able to tolerate high levels of carbon dioxide, a necessity for an animal which burrows for protection (and sometimes for food). Because of this, they can also tolerate lower oxygen levels, and this is useful when bushfires occur.
- When flash floods occur, echidnas can dive underwater, and as they do so, their heart rate drops, which saves oxygen needed by the brain and the heart.
What are the things on the echidna's back called?
The echidna has numerous sharp spines on its back. These are for defence purposes.
How strong is the echidna poison?
The echidna has no poison (or venom) in its spines or anywhere else. Like a platypus, the male echidna has a spur on its hind leg, but this is not believed to hold any venom.
Is shade the echidna good or bad?
Well really at the first part of the game in Sonic chronicles she thinks that IX(the leader of shade's tribe)will bring back the echidna's to earth so she works for him. Later in the game IX declares he will conquer the earth. Having heard this shade is shocked. Then IX orders silence and bashes his wizard like staff on the ground. Having do so, everyone (apart from sonic) get's thrown away by it's power. Then sonic chases after IX from getting away with the master emerald.
Then shade joins sonic's team. I think she's good.To my opinion she just misunderstood. And if you mean the power then when your'e against her she's really good. But when she's on your'e team she can only attack more than 10 but less then 20.But her pow moves(apart from cloak) are really powerful.
What do short-beaked echidnas eat?
Short-beaked echidnas live almost exclusively on termites, although they also eat ants. Echidnas have large claws for breaking open termite mounds (which, in much of Australia, are made from mud). They have long sticky tongues, about 15cm long, with which they catch the termites. Echidnas also look for termites under old, rotting logs, their preferred locale.
Are male and female echidnas are the same size?
No. Generally, females are smaller. An adult echidna ranges between 35cm and 53cm in length, not counting the 7-8cm snout, with males being longer. It is 30cm or less in height. The mass of an adult male is about 6kg, whilst a female is around 4.5kg.
An egg laying mammal that is also called the spiny anteater?
This is the echidna. There are two species of echidna, which is a monotreme, or egg-laying mammal. One species is the short-beaked echidna of Australia, and the other is the long-beaked echidna of New Guinea.
