The Echidna is a very unique Australian animal that lives in all types of habitat. Given that the Echidna it is one of only two monotremes (the other being the Platypus). A monotreme is a mammal that lays eggs, instead of giving birth to live young. Their diet consists mainly of ants which they catch with a long, sticky tongue and their snout performs a vital role for the Echidna, as they depend on it to sense organisms as small as termites. If their snout is damaged, they are unlikely to recover and possibly won’t survive in the wild.

The Echidna is covered with long black, brown and golden spikes, known as quills, and under these the body is completely furred. These sharp quills are a defense mechanism, which deters their attackers.
Echidnas mate from June to September, and after a 14 day gestation period one egg is laid. The egg is soft-shelled and will hatch after an incubation period of 10 days. The puggle (echidna young) is carried around in its mother’s pouch for 3 months, or until the quills start to develop. To see some really interesting videos now, just register (for free) and click on the map icon on the right hand side of this article and sit back and our Australian wildlife conservation Echidna video map.