Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia — mammals

Order: Monotremata — monotremes (egg-laying mammals)

Family: Tachyglossidae — echidnas, spiny anteaters

Genus: Tachyglossus

Species: Tachyglossus aculeatus - short-beaked echidna

Subspecies: Tachyglossus aculeatus acanthion
Subspecies: Tachyglossus aculeatus aculeatus
Subspecies: Tachyglossus aculeatus lawesii
Subspecies: Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus
Subspecies: Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus

Body Weight
2-7 kg (4-15 lb); some sources state up to 8-10 kg (18-22 lb)

Head-body Length
30-45 cm (12-18 in)

Snout Length
6.0-7.5 cm (2.4-3.0 in)

Pelage
Typically dark in color; ranges from black to light brown to reddish-brown to honey. Blonde echidnas present on Flinders and Kangaroo Islands.

Range
Australia (including Kangaroo Island and Tasmania) and New Guinea

Habitat
All terrestrial habitats, from snowy mountains to tropical rainforests to arid zones

IUCN Status
Least Concern

CITES Appendix
Not listed

Other Designations
Protected throughout Australia

Populations in the Wild
Not known, perhaps 5-50 million in Australia

Locomotion
Distinct rolling walk that is unique among modern mammals. Short stride. Able to swim.

Activity Cycle
Most active at night, evening, and early morning. May be active during the day.

Social Groups
Solitary, except during the mating period

Diet
Termites, ants, larvae of beetles and moths

Predators
Not well studied.
Of adults: dingoes, Tasmanian devils, and humans; possibly domestic dogs and foxes
Of young and juveniles: large lizards, snakes, feral cats, foxes, and pigs

Sexual Maturity
In the wild: minimum of 5 years of age (Kangaroo Island)
In managed care: minimum of 3 years of age

Gestation
~21-22 days

Litter Size
1

Interbirth Interval
Annual breeding cycle. However, females may only successfully wean one young every 4-6 years.

Birth Weight
0.3-2.0 g (0.05-0.07 oz)

Age at Weaning
Varies by location, 140-210 days

Typical Life Expectancy
Wild populations: According to one study, about 16–17 years during mild conditions; much shorter during periods of low rainfall and harsh temperatures.
Managed care: no AZA estimates

Feature Facts

• One of the only egg-laying mammals (along with the platypus and the long-beaked echidnas)
• Remarkably strong for their body size (can move objects as heavy as a refrigerator!); excellent climbers; in managed care, echidnas are known as “escape artists”
• Claws on the back feet are used as combs to groom between spines; hindfeet are rotated outwards
• Able to extrude their long, sticky, agile tongue 18 cm (7 in)
• Exceptionally long-lived for their body size
• Lowest metabolism of any mammal
• Can survive wildfires by burrowing, dropping their body temperature, and slowing their metabolism
• During hibernation, their body temperature drops to 8-10°C (46-50°F) and their heart rate may drop to four beats per minute
• One of only two kinds of mammals known to hibernate while pregnant (the other is the bat)
• Males have a penis structure unlike any other mammal
• Keratin layer that covers an echidna’s eyes provides protection from ant bites and while burrowing
• Can sense electric fields with their snout
• Use their snout like a snorkel, while swimming