Short-beaked Echidna
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
The Short-beaked echidna is one of the 3 species of echidna. It is found throughout Australia and parts of New Guinea. The other rarer species, the Long-beaked echidna, lives only in the the highlands of New Guinea. The Short-beaked species regularly feasts on ants or termites, thus earning its common nickname, the spiny anteater. Short-beaked echidnas live alone, foraging during both the day and the night. They locate their food by smell, and it is also thought that they may be able to pick up electric signals from prey animals using sensors in the tip of their snout. they are powerful diggers, using their clawed front paws to dig out prey or create burrows for shelter. The Short-beaked echidna lays a single egg with a leathery shell into a pouch on its abdomen, and the young hatches soon afterwards. The baby is incubated in the pouch for 10-11 days, and finally leaves the after around 55 days. The mother will continue to suckle her young even after it has left the pouch.
