8/11/2023 0 Comments A platypus penisThe claws on an echidna’s hind limbs are curved backwards to help them dig, which is another way they help protect themselves from danger as they can dig their way out of trouble. In fact, the echidna’s scientific name, Tachyglossus actually means ‘fast tongue’ – quite fitting! 7. Their tongues work very quickly, enabling them to slurp up ants, worms and insect larvae. Who needs teeth anyway?Įchidnas are actually toothless mammals, but they more than make up for it with their long, sticky tongues. They stay within the den their mother creates for up to a year before going it alone. The gestation period is quite quick – after only ten days the baby echidna hatches.īaby echidnas are called ‘puggles’. They lay eggsĪlong with the platypus, the echidna is the only other living egg-laying mammal species.Īlmost a month after mating, the female deposits a single, soft-shelled, leathery egg into her pouch. When mating, two of the heads ‘shut down’ while the other two grow larger to fit inside the female echidna’s two-branched reproductive tract.Įchidnas alternate which heads they use when mating with different partners to improve their chances of becoming a dad! 5. ‘So how on earth does that work?’ we hear you ask. Now you know about an echidna’s mating ritual, you might also be interested to know that male echidnas have a very unique reproductive organ – a four-headed penis. Male echidnas have a four-headed appendage Prickly Love: Echidnas Caught Mating | National GeographicĤ. He then digs more dirt out from the spot where the female’s tail is resting, lies on his side and places his tail under hers, and they mate. Eventually the largest male pushes the competing rivals out of this ‘mating rut’. She then lies relaxed and flat on her stomach and the males that formed the ‘train’ dig a circular trench around her. The male suitors follow the female for long distances until the female is ready to mate. A smaller, younger male is often at the rear of the line. They form a line known as an ‘echidna train’, with the female leading the ‘train’, followed by up to ten males. They form mating ‘trains’ during breeding seasonįrom mid-May to early September, male echidnas actively seek out females to mate. They have different coloured spinesĮchidnas found in South Australia tend to be much darker in colour than their eastern states counterparts.įor example, echidnas from south-east Queensland are a lot lighter and can almost look like they have ‘blonde highlights’ from the year-round sun! Pure white and even red-headed echidnas have been spotted on Kangaroo Island. When under threat, they will roll up into a ball of radiating spines to protect themselves or dig themselves to safety.Īs well as being covered in spines, echidnas are also covered in shorter fur to keep them warm. These spines are an echidna’s main line of defence when predators strike. Their spines are actually hairsīelieve it or not, the spines you see on an echidna are actually long, tough, hollow hair follicles. Make sure you’re on point with your echidna knowledge when you next spot one in the wild. They can be found in many of South Australia’s national parks and aren’t as rare as you might think. South Australia is home to lots of amazing native species, and these guys are no exception. They’re spiky, slow-moving and native to Australia but there is much more to short-beaked echidnas – also known as spiny anteaters – than meets the eye.
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