Short-Beaked Echidna Fact Sheet

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The short-beaked echidna is found in Australia and Southern New Guinea.  They are found in woodland area, savanna and semi-arid and arid areas, and in the rainforest. These animals are covered in fur and spines, and have a 6 inch long tongue which they use to catch insects. They have no teeth and a short beak. The short-beaked echidna has mechanoreceptors and electroreceptors which help detect its surroundings. The short-beaked echidna likes to burrow and is able to do so quickly because of strong front limbs and claws. They are able to survive underground because they have high tolerance to high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen. The short-beaked echidna has no fighting ability so it curls into a ball and tries to deter predators with its spine. Some of their predators are birds of prey, snakes, dingos, lizards, cats, foxes and Tasmanian devil. The short-beaked echidna has a panniculus carnosus which is a big muscle beneath the skin, covering the entire body. By contracting part of this muscle they are able to roll into a ball essentially changing their shape.  They also have the largest prefrontal cortex compared to body size of any mammal.  In humans, this is the part of the brain used for planning and analytical behavior which has lead people to wonder if the echidna has reasoning and strategizing ability. After doing some experiments, scientists concluded that the short-beaked echidna learning ability matched that of a cat or rat The short-beaked echidna tends to avoid daytime activity because it can not sweat.  In winter the short-beaked echidna goes into hibernation in order to conserve energy. The female short-beaked echidna lays one egg a year. The short-beaked echidna are solitary animals so mating is the only time they have contact with each other. A baby short-beaked echidna is about the size of a grape.