Star News
Australian echidna: where it lives, features of the animal, nutrition. Echidna (animal): photo, description, habitat Echidna short description
Varieties and habitat of echidna, appearance and physiological characteristics, description, nutrition, reproduction, tips for keeping at home.
The content of the article:
Echidna belongs to the oviparous mammals from the order Monotremes. This is an absolutely unique creature, which, together with the platypus, zoologists have identified as an independent zoological order, called Monotremata - Bird Beasts. This name well explains the amazing features of the anatomical structure and physiology of these two animals, which lay eggs, like birds, but feed their newborns with milk, like mammals.
Varieties and habitat of echidna
For the first time, European science learned about the existence of echidna from the report of a member of the Royal Zoological Society in London, George Shaw, read in 1792. But Shaw, who compiled the first description of this animal, was initially mistaken in classifying it as an anteater. In the future, having learned a lot of new and unusual things about this wonderful creature, zoologists corrected the mistake of the discoverer.
Currently, the Echidna family is divided into three genera:
- real echidnas (Tachyglossus);
- prochidna (Zaglossus);
- now extinct genus (Megalibgwilia).
- Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus, found on Kangaroo Island;
- Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus, Tasmanian echidna, habitat - the island of Tasmania and the Furno group of islands of the Bass Strait;
- Tachyglossus aculeatus acanthion, distributed in the Northern Territory of Australia and Western Australia;
- Tachyglossus aculeatus, inhabits the Australian states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland;
- Tachyglossus aculeatus lawesii, habitat - the islands of New Guinea, as well as moist forests in northeast Queensland, Australia.
Appearance and physiological features of the echidna
Echidna combines the external features of at least two mammals at once - a porcupine and an anteater, which makes its appearance very extraordinary and easily recognizable.
The standard length of the Australian echidna is 30-45 centimeters with a weight of 2.5 to 5 kg. The Tasmanian subspecies of this mammal is noticeably larger - up to 53 centimeters.
The body of the animal has a somewhat flattened shape, with a small head, short thick strong legs and a small curly tail.
The muzzle of the bird animal is conically elongated and gradually turns into a kind of cylindrical "beak" up to 75 centimeters long. The shape of the "beak" can be either straight or somewhat curved (depending on the subspecies).
The "beak" is the most important organ, designed both to detect prey and to absorb it. In addition to a very sensitive nose and mouth, the "beak" contains mechanoreceptors and electroreceptors - special cells of the body that can detect the slightest fluctuations in the electric field caused by even the slightest movement of insects. There are no more electroreceptor cells in any of the known modern science mammals (with the exception of the platypus).
The structural features of the mouth-beak are such that the echidna cannot fully, like other animals, open its mouth to swallow prey. Its mouth opening does not exceed 5 mm. Therefore, she is only able, like an anteater, to “shoot” her long, thin and sticky tongue in the direction of food, drawing into her mouth everything that has stuck to it and is able to pass in size into such a small hole. The beak-mouth of the "spiny anteater", as this bird animal is sometimes called, is completely toothless. Instead of teeth for grinding solid food, small sharp horn needles are used, dotting the root of the tongue and the palate of the mouth.
The auricles of the echidna are under the thick hair of the head and are almost invisible visually even on the naked body of the cub. At the same time, the hearing of the bird beast is magnificent. Especially in the low frequency range emitted by the underground movement of insects.
The eyes of a mammal are small, having, in addition to the eyelids, nictitating membranes. Despite the small size of the eyes, she has excellent vision (until recently it was considered the opposite), which, combined with sharp hearing and an excellent sense of smell, helps her to detect danger in a timely manner and in most cases avoid direct collision with predators.
Leading an uncommunicative way of life, the echidna almost does not make voice sounds. Only at moments of extreme excitement of a mammal can a soft grunt be heard.
The body of the animal is covered with brown-brown hair, the sides and back are protected by long and sharp quills, like those of a porcupine. The length of the needles reaches 5-6 centimeters.
Powerful strong five-fingered paws (three-toed are found in the prochidna) are armed with strong wide claws and are well adapted for digging the earth, moving large stones and destroying termite mounds.
Adult males have sharp and hollow horny spurs on the heels of the hind limbs. Zoologists who discovered the echidna mistook these spurs for special venomous spikes (perhaps hence the overly venomous name of the animal), designed to protect against attacking predators. Modern research has shown that these spurs do not contain poison and are used by the bird animal exclusively for combing out its prickly skin.
On the belly of the female, on the eve of the mating season, a fold of skin (brood bag) is formed in which she bears the egg she has laid, and then the hatched cub, feeding it with milk, like everyone else. marsupials animals of Australia.
The uniqueness of the anatomy of a mammal also lies in the presence of the so-called cloaca, into which both the intestinal and genitourinary tracts are simultaneously excreted. For this reason, the echidna was assigned to the zoological order Monotremes. The penis of the male is also unique, large, having three branched heads at once - probably to ensure a more reliable result when mating during the mating season.
Lifestyle and behavior of echidna in nature
The habits and lifestyle of the Australian echidna are not homogeneous and depend not only on the individual nuances of the behavior of each of the subspecies of the animal, but also on the climate, natural landscape and the specifics of a particular habitat.
The "spiny anteater" can be found in the most diverse areas of the Australian mainland and adjacent islands - in hot deserts and in dry bushes, in warm, humid equatorial forests and in the shrubby undergrowth of the foothills. The echidna is equally at home near water bodies, on farmlands, and even in urban suburbs. If only there was enough food, and there were fewer predatory animals.
In the foothills of the island of Tasmania and the Australian Alps, where the temperature drops significantly below zero for several months a year, and the ground is covered with a blanket of snow for a long time, the beast hibernates, having previously dug a deep hole-lair. The presence of a considerable amount of subcutaneous fat accumulated over the summer allows you to easily survive this cold period of starvation.
In snowless and warm regions, this prickly beast is awake all year round.
In areas with a temperate continental climate, the echidna leads an active lifestyle, regardless of the time of day. But in the hot semi-deserts, it goes hunting only at night, when the heat subsides. The organism of this creature does not tolerate increased heat indicators very well due to the complete anatomical absence of sweat glands and low own body temperature (30–32 ° C).
"Prickly anteater" is a solitary animal, capable of communicating with its own kind only during the mating period. In everyday life, although these animals adhere to a certain habitat, they do not wage internecine wars among themselves, calmly allowing neighbors to sometimes violate the boundaries of marked areas.
Due to the peculiarities of the anatomy of the body and large curved claws, the mammal moves somewhat awkwardly and relatively slowly. And although this bird animal cannot be attributed to waterfowl or water-loving animals, the animal swims quite decently. If necessary, he can easily swim across a wide river.
Despite the fact that the Australian echidna has a vast habitat on the Australian continent, many of its habits have not yet been fully studied - this animal leads a too secretive lifestyle.
Echidna food
The structural features of the oral cavity, in general, determined the diet of the echidna. Since the size of potential prey is limited by the size of the mouth opening, small insects form the basis of nutrition. First of all, these are termites and ants, which the prickly beast gets to by digging up anthills and destroying termite mounds. In addition, the "spiny anteater" feeds on slugs, snails, worms and insect larvae.
An excellent sense of smell, as well as electroreceptors of the “beak”, allow you to find prey deep underground, under stones and tree stumps. The strong clawed paws put into action and the agile all-penetrating tongue of the animal successfully complete the job. When hunting for prey, the tongue of the bird animal is able to “shoot out” at the target with a machine gun firing frequency of about 100 times per minute, penetrating to a depth of up to 18 centimeters.
In exceptional cases, the echidna can do without food for a month, due to its own reserves of subcutaneous fat.
Echidna breeding
The mating season for this wonderful beast begins in May and ends in September. To attract a partner, or rather, partners (several males can follow one female at once, forming competition), the female emits a sharp musky smell and leaves odorous messages to the “grooms” with the help of a cloaca.
Male courtship of the "bride" can last for several weeks, eventually ending with the mating of the winning male with the female, which occurs in the supine position. In time, the mating lasts about an hour, after which the couple scatters forever.
The duration of pregnancy is from 21 to 28 days. It ends with the laying by the female of one or two very small eggs (weight about 1.5 grams), beige-cream in color, with a leathery shell.
Having barely laid eggs somewhere in a secluded, dry and warm place - a brood hole, the echidna immediately moves them to her bag. How she does this, in fact, without having a normal mouth size and perfect paws, zoologists cannot yet convincingly say. After the eggs are placed in the bag, the female carefully bears them for another 10 days until the offspring appears.
Life and nursing of echidna cubs
The hatched cub, weighing only about 0.5 grams, independently moves to the front of the bag to a skin area called the milky field (in this zone there are about 150 pores of the mammary glands), where it begins to feed on echidna milk that is pink in color (due to excess iron content). . In the future, he remains in the mother's pouch for almost two months, quickly gaining weight. After two months, the "baby" already weighs 400-450 grams. By this time, the baby develops its own spines, and the mother releases it from the bag into a previously prepared shelter hole.
Over the next four months, the grown echidna is in this shelter, and the mother comes to feed her no more than once every 5-10 days. The independent life of a newly minted young representative begins at the age of eight months, and puberty occurs at 2-3 years.
Mating of the "spiny anteater" occurs quite rarely, according to available observations - no more than once every 3-7 years. Life expectancy in nature is 15–16 years.
Natural enemies of echidna and ways of defense
On the Australian continent and in Tasmania, the main enemies of echidnas are: dingoes, marsupial Tasmanian devils, monitor lizards, foxes and feral dogs and cats.
A good sense of smell, sharp eyesight and excellent hearing help this prickly and rather harmless creature to avoid danger. Having found the enemy, the echidna always tries to leave unnoticed. If this fails, then it is taken at the same time to dig a hole with all four paws, instantly plunging deep into the ground and leaving a back covered with needles for the enemy to attack. This is her favorite defense technique.
If for some reason it is not possible to dig a hole, the beast, like a hedgehog, curls up into a prickly ball. True, this method of salvation is not so perfect. Experienced Australian predators have long learned to overcome echidnas curled up in a ball, rolling them into the water or rolling them on the ground for a long time and contriving to grab the belly that is not protected by needles (when the muscle of the animal responsible for twisting into a ball gets tired and the prickly ball opens slightly).
Often, a spiny mammal becomes a victim of aboriginal hunters who hunt it solely for the sake of fat, which is considered a kind of delicacy by local tribes.
It may seem that such an unusual and exotic animal is ill-suited for the role of a pet. Actually it is not. There are many examples of successful home maintenance of this thorn bearer.
Of course, keeping such a creature in a limited area of \u200b\u200ba city apartment or freely walking around the house is not worth it. Furniture and the interior of the premises can easily suffer from this - the habit of turning over stones and digging up anthills in search of food from this savage is ineradicable.
Therefore, the optimal conditions for keeping an echidna are a spacious aviary house in front of the house or in the household yard, which reliably protects the beast from cold, heat and too annoying visitors. Do not forget - the "prickly anteater" prefers loneliness. Which, however, does not exclude his walks around the yard. The animal is distinguished by a complaisant and peaceful character, gets along well with households and other pets. Never behaves aggressively. The only thing that can suffer from his claws is your favorite flower garden or garden, which he will definitely check for something tasty.
As for the diet. At home, the bird animal is quite capable of doing without its beloved ants and termites. Echidna is happy to eat necessarily crushed hard-boiled eggs, fruits, bread, and minced meat. Especially likes milk and raw chicken eggs. Do not forget about the container with drinking water.
Efforts on the part of the owner to care for the pet's prickly skin are not required. The animal is able to do all the necessary manipulations on its own.
In captivity, this animal practically does not breed. Only five zoos in the world managed to get echidna offspring, but none of the born pets survived to adulthood.
More about echidna, see this video:
Australia - a continent rich in a variety of outlandish animals - sheltered under its sky and a small, outwardly very reminiscent of a porcupine, living creature - an echidna. This completely harmless animal, feeding exclusively on small worms, insects, ants and termites, for some reason has a rather frightening name: the image of an ancient Greek monster immediately pops up in the memory - a half-woman half-snake, bringing real horror to everyone who even bothers to look at her with one eye . However, as scientists have found out, the practically harmless Australian animal is in no way connected with a creepy mythical creature, but is related exclusively to hedgehogs: this is how it is translated from Greek a word consonant with the name of echidna.
Description of the echidna
There are 3 genera in the echidna family, one of which (Megalibgwilia) is considered extinct. There is also the genus Zaglossus, where proechidnas are found, as well as the genus Tachyglossus (Echidna), consisting of a single species - the Australian echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus). The last was opened to the world by a British zoologist George Shaw, who described this oviparous mammal in 1792.
Appearance
The echidna has modest parameters - with a weight of 2.5–5 kg, it grows to about 30–45 cm. Only the Tasmanian subspecies is larger, whose representatives outgrow half a meter. A small head smoothly passes into the body, dotted with hard 5–6 cm needles, consisting of keratin. The needles are hollow and colored yellow (often complemented by black at the tips). The spines are combined with coarse brown or black hair.
Animals have poor eyesight, but excellent sense of smell and hearing: their ears pick up low-frequency vibrations in the soil emitted by ants and termites. Echidna smarter than her close relative the platypus, since its brain is more developed and dotted with a large number of convolutions. The echidna has a very funny muzzle with a duck beak (7.5 cm), round dark eyes and ears invisible under the coat. The total length of the tongue is 25 cm, and when capturing prey, it flies out 18 cm.
Important! The short tail is shaped like a ledge. Under the tail is a cloaca - a single opening through which the sexual secretions, urine and feces of the animal exit.
Echidna lifestyle and behavior
Echidna is a solitary animal. She is jealous of her territory and is unlikely to let any of her own kind into her “hunting zone”. Although the body of the animal, at first glance, is heavy and not entirely suitable for swimming, the echidna swims calmly and easily. The animal is able to swim even a large body of water. These animals do not have permanent housing.
Thanks to their sharp eyesight, echidnas instantly notice danger and try to hide in thickets or in rock crevices. Well, if the enemy overtook the echidna where there is no natural shelter, then the animal begins to bury its body in the ground with incredible speed, leaving only its traumatic needles on the surface. Another method of protection against natural opponents is folding into a ball. Echidnas do this when the area is too open and the soil is hard and it is impossible to burrow into it.
Habitat
This animal was first described by the famous English zoologist George Shaw in 1792. Like many other relic creatures, echidnas live in a closed area. Monotremes have long since died out on other continents, but have survived in:
- Australia.
- Tasmania.
- New Guinea.
- Bass Strait Islands.
The Australian continent is very far from others, so the animals living on it have gone their own evolutionary path. The modern prochidna is perhaps the most famous surviving member of the genus. Echidna inhabits almost the entire territory of this continent. Human economic activity has led to a significant decrease in the number of these animals.
Food
The main food of the echidna is ants and termites. Finding an anthill, she immediately begins to deftly tear it, deepening until she gets to the ants. Immediately begins to lick them with her long sticky tongue. The sticky secret, which is abundantly smeared on her tongue, is secreted from large paired salivary glands.
The echidna has no teeth in its mouth, but the upper palate is dotted with hard keratin plates, against which it crushes insects, pressing them firmly with its tongue. The same fate awaits termites, if suddenly the Australian echidna finds a termite mound. Moreover, it easily breaks the solid outer walls of the termite mound with its paws. If she smells ants or termites under the bark of a tree, then with her front paws she will easily tear off a piece of bark and lick the found insects.
Interesting! Echidnas make very fast tongue movements, they can stick it out more than 100 times in a minute!
In search of a treat, the Australian echidna can move stones, even large ones, sometimes it simply combs the forest floor with its sensitive nose-beak. Together with food, she, like birds, swallows a large amount of earth and small pebbles. They help digest food by grinding it in the stomach. In addition to ants and termites, the animal's diet includes bugs, worms, and sometimes mollusks. Echidnas almost never drink water. They get fluid from the insects they eat.
Interesting! Scientists suggest that special cells are located on the nose of the echidna, with the help of which it captures electromagnetic impulses emitted by all living creatures. Only sharks and whales have such receptors; they have not yet been found in any land mammal.
How does it produce offspring?
once a year female lays a single egg. Its size is like a large pea, and it has a soft shell. The animal lays down on its back and, pushing the egg with its stigma, rolls it along the abdomen into a bag that has appeared on the stomach. After 10 days, a baby appears from the egg, naked and completely without thorns, weighing half a gram. mother echidna feeds the cub with very thick milk, which forms on the skin of her abdomen. The baby licks it with a long tongue, grows very quickly. After 2 months, the animal already weighs 400 g, its weight increases a thousand times. The stay of the cub in the bag is now dangerous due to the needles starting to grow, and the female is especially for him digs a "baby" hole. She comes to feed the cub once every 5-10 days and does this up to 6 months.
On a coin of 5 Australian cents there is a "portrait" of an echidna. Funny Millie, also a echidna, was the symbol of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
- In case of danger, the Australian echidna curls up into a ball, as the hedgehog known to us does.
- The Tasmanian echidnas of Tasmania have short and less dense spines, so they do not need highly developed scratching claws.
- Echidnas, like humans, belong to a small group of long-lived mammals that can live for more than 50 years. Such a long lifespan is very atypical for such a small animal.
- The platypus and echidna living in Australia are the only mammals that lay eggs.
- Female echidnas do not have the classic outlets of the mammary glands - nipples. The milk flows out through the pores into a hairy pouch on the front of the pouch, where it is licked off by the young.
The origin of these funny little animals is still little understood. Covered with needles like porcupines, similar in type to anteaters, Australian echidnas are considered the most mysterious and interesting animals on the planet. Once they had a huge number of relatives. Currently, their number has been reduced to only one representative - the prochidna. Tachyglossus aculeatus are found in the eastern part of Australia and in its most western regions. They live among thickets of bushes (in a dry bush), preferring rocky areas. The main defense is long needles. Nor does not dig.
You rarely see an echidna larger than 40 cm. The small body is covered with long 6 cm needles of white and brown shades. Short, coarse brown hair grows between the needles. This land animal has a long, thin muzzle ending in a small, narrow mouth. The parotid region of the Australian echidna is distinguished by a particularly thick and long coat of wool. The tail is very small and looks like a tiny protrusion covered with needles.
Beautiful photos of echidna:
During the day, an unusual animal hides in the hollows of trees, in the voids under their roots. At night he goes in search of food. It feeds on termites, ants, and sometimes earthworms. Sensing the prey, the echidna sharply throws out its sticky long tongue, to which the victim sticks. In the cold months, it hibernates for a short time (fortunately, subcutaneous fat allows you to do without food). The echidna has fine hearing but very poor eyesight. Incubates eggs. The egg is located in a primitive bag formed during the breeding season. The baby is fed with milk.
Video: Echidna (lat. Tachyglossidae)
The echidna is an animal that resembles a porcupine in appearance, lays eggs like a bird, carries its young in a pouch like a kangaroo, and feeds like an anteater. Together with the platypus, this animal belongs to mammals that lay eggs.
Habitat
Echidna (animal), whose habitat is distributed only to Australia, Tasmania, can live in captivity. It adapts well to any environment, so today it can be found not only in the original environment, but throughout the world.
Appearance
The echidna animal, the photo of which is presented, has a length of about 40 centimeters. Her back is covered with wool and needles. The head is relatively small and immediately merges into the body. The mouth is presented in the form of a tubular beak, in a small hole of which there is a long sticky tongue. The beak is the main organ for vision, since vision is very poorly developed.
The animal moves on four short five-toed paws, which are distinguished by their muscularity. There are long claws on the fingers, and a five-centimeter claw grows on the hind paw, with which the individual combs its needles. The short tail is also covered with needles.
The echidna (animal) described is a squat, spiny little mammal that digs very dexterously and has a long, tubular beak.
Way of life
In the subtropical zone (Australia), echidnas are more active on summer nights. During the day, during the hottest hours, they are placed in the shade and rest. With the onset of darkness, the animals feel cool and come out of their hiding places.
In cold areas of the mainland, frost is possible. In this case, echidnas slow down their vital activity before the onset of heat. Animals do not belong to the species that fall into hibernation. But in winter certain time they can still sleep.
They lead, as a rule, a nocturnal or twilight lifestyle. During the day they hide in cool places. Such shelters can be natural depressions in the soil, hollow trees, thickets of shrubs.
Echidna is an animal that has fantastic dexterity. This helps him dig the ground and get his own food.
Food
Ants are the main food for the animal. With the help of their beak, echidnas skillfully dig the ground and get insects from termite mounds and anthills.
When an animal discovers an anthill, it immediately begins to dig it with sharp claws. The work does not stop until a deep tunnel is dug up to the destruction of the solid outer layer of the structure.
An echidna (animal) sticks a long tongue into the tunnel that has been made, on which many biting ants press. It remains only to quickly return the tongue to the mouth along with food. In addition to the ants digestive system soil, sand, tree bark.
Such nutrition is very important for a mammal that lives in arid zones. With ants, the echidna gets 70% moisture. Anteaters and armadillos survive in the same way.
If there is enough food in the habitat of mammals, they do not change it. If necessary, they can go several kilometers.
reproduction
In ordinary life, the echidna is a solitary animal. Communication with other individuals occurs only during the mating season. In order for them to use special trails that are marked with a specific smell.
Behavior during the mating period is not fully understood. It is only known that after fertilization, the female produces an egg no more than 15 millimeters in diameter. Next, she places it in a bag with the help of a tail and peritoneum. Scientists are not aware of cases of laying two or more eggs, but it is also impossible to talk about the rule of one egg.
Echidna is a marsupial. The female's pouch is not considered a permanent organ like a kangaroo's. It appears as a result of the tension of certain muscles. Moreover, if you give the female a sedative, this organ will disappear in a matter of minutes.
From an egg in a bag, a cub appears, measuring 12 millimeters. He is unsuitable for independent life: covered with primary skin, blind, feeds on mother's milk. He lives in a bag until he begins to weigh about 400 grams.
How to feed a baby echidna
Being in the bag, the cub does not leave it until the mother decides to pull it out. He feeds on her milk, which has a pinkish color and a very thick consistency. In this it is similar to the nutritional mixture of rabbits and dolphins.
Milk enters the bag through numerous holes from special glands. The kid licks it. The nutritional qualities of the mixture allow you not to adhere to a strict feeding schedule. This is important when the mother takes the cub out of the bag and hides it in a shelter.
Protection methods
The main means of protection are a shield with needles and claws. The animal has no natural enemies. But there are cases when they attacked echidnas and ate them along with a shield of needles. One day, a dead python was discovered with a spiny animal stuck in it.
When sensing danger, an echidna (a cautious animal) very quickly begins to dig the ground around itself and hides in a hole in minutes, leaving only its needles in sight. Being on a hard surface, it curls up into a ball, hiding the muzzle and beak. The last means of protection is a fetid liquid, released in case of serious danger to the one who dared to disturb him.
Echidnas are mammals from the family of the same name in the order Monotremes. Their only truly close relative is the platypus. In addition, distant links can be traced between echidnas and more advanced insectivores: hedgehogs and shrews. The name echidna itself comes from the ancient Greek word "echinos" ("hedgehog") and is generated by the extreme prickliness of the beast. There are only 3 species of these mammals in the world: the Australian echidna, the Attenborough prochidna and the Bruyne prochidna.
Australian echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).
Prochidna Bruyna (Zaglossus bruijni).
Physiologically, echidnas are as primitive as platypuses. They have a low and unstable body temperature, varying between 30-35°C, during hibernation it can drop to 5°C. Thermoregulation is present at a rudimentary level: echidnas do not have developed sweat glands, in the heat they can only slightly increase evaporation due to the frequency of inhalations and exhalations. By the way, echidnas are incredibly resistant to oxygen deficiency, they can hold their breath for 12 minutes! The intestines, genitals and excretory organs end in them, like in birds and platypuses, with a common duct - the cloaca.
All species of these animals are narrow endemics. The Australian echidna lives in Australia and New Guinea; its special, Tasmanian, subspecies lives on the island of Tasmania. As for proechidnas, both of these species live exclusively on the island of New Guinea. The habitats of echidnas are very diverse, they can be found in the foothill forests of Western Australia and in the semi-deserts in the center of the continent. Accordingly, the way of life of animals in different parts of the range also varies. In the foothills, where snow falls in winter, echidnas hibernate, in warm regions they are awake all year round; in areas with a temperate climate, they are active at any time of the day, in semi-deserts they go hunting only on a cool night. Animals sleep in burrows.
Echidna swims across a pond.
These animals keep alone, meeting each other only during the mating season. Each individual adheres to a certain territory, however, the boundaries of the sites can be shared by neighbors. Echidnas move slowly and very clumsily, because curved claws prevent them from developing a decent speed. At the same time, these animals are excellent swimmers and are able to overcome even wide rivers. Due to low socialization, echidnas do not make any sounds.
The diet of these animals is very similar to the diet of shrews and hedgehogs. Their favorite food is ants and termites, which the echidna licks off with a sticky tongue. A long tongue is ejected from the mouth at a frequency of 100 times per minute and is able to penetrate into the narrowest gaps. In addition, echidnas eat earthworms, slugs, snails. Shells of mollusks and chitinous covers of insects are rubbed against horny teeth, which cover the inner surface of the "beak". Interestingly, in the stomach of echidnas there is practically no acid, like in other mammals, and the reaction of gastric juice is close to neutral. The extraordinary sensitivity of the “nose beak” helps them to get food. In addition to olfactory receptors, it has unique sensory organs, which, in addition to echidnas, are found only in platypus - electroreceptors. With their help, echidnas pick up electromagnetic vibrations emitted by prey. On top of that, these animals are able to hear infrasounds generated by the burrowing activity of insects.
The breeding season for echidnas lasts from May to September. At this time, individuals of both sexes emit a sharp musky smell, they twist their cesspools and rub them against the ground, leaving odorous marks. Up to 10 males can follow one female at the same time! Moreover, the "grooms" line up depending on the rank and size. This "train" can travel for several weeks. Pregnancy lasts 22 days, after which the female lays 1-2 disproportionately small eggs in a pouch on her abdomen. The size of each egg does not exceed 13-17 mm, they have a soft leathery cream-colored shell. Incubation lasts 10 days.
The captured female echidna took a defensive posture. In the center of the abdomen, a tiny egg is visible, laid by her in the brood pouch.
Hatched newborns barely reach 1.5 cm in length, and weigh 0.3-0.4 g! Their childhood passes in a hole dug by a parent. Unlike hedgehogs, which become covered with thorns a few hours after birth, echidna babies remain naked for a long time. They lick milk directly from the surface of the mother's skin, since these animals do not have formed mammary glands. Echidnas grow rather slowly and become completely independent only by 7 months. But kids, even in early age can remain alone in the hole for a long time. Without the slightest damage to health, they endure the absence of their mother for 1-2 days, and then at a time they can drink an amount of milk equal to 20% of their body weight. Interestingly, echidna milk changes its composition in the process of feeding and becomes more nutritious every month. Milk is rich in iron compounds, giving it a pinkish hue. Animals reach sexual maturity only by 4-5 years.
This baby echidna, named Bo, was found on the road, probably he fell out of his mother's bag. He is pictured at 55 days of age.
In nature, echidnas have many natural enemies: they are hunted by Tasmanian devils, dingoes, pythons, monitor lizards, snakes. After the colonization of Australia, foxes and feral cats joined these predators. Echidnas, despite their tiny beady eyes, are vigilant. They notice the approach of the enemy from afar and tend to go unnoticed. In case of persecution, they begin to dig a hole, literally plunging into soft ground in a matter of seconds. Outside, only a small section of the prickly back remains sticking out, and the echidna can spend a relatively long time in this position, practically without breathing. If digging a hole is impossible for some reason (the enemy is close or the ground is too hard), then the animal simply curls up into a ball. These animals have a special ring muscle, like hedgehogs, which allows them to "pull" their own skin on themselves. However, this method of protection is imperfect, since the ball is not continuous, sometimes the predator manages to grab the echidna by soft belly and eat. Nevertheless, the main factor influencing the decline in the number of echidnas remains the reduction of habitats due to displacement by humans.
Echidna used the "hedgehog" tactics, she covered the least protected parts of the body with clawed paws.
Along with Monotremes and Insectivores, echidnas are considered among the most primitive mammals. Their intellectual efforts are aimed solely at finding food; these animals are not amenable to training. But still, compared to the platypus, the echidna brain has a more complex cortex, which in captivity is expressed in some curiosity and an attempt to study unfamiliar objects. Yes, and keeping echidnas is much easier than keeping platypuses. They calmly perceive the presence of people, with pleasure they eat a variety of foods, including those unusual for them in nature (for example, milk). Observers have repeatedly noted the phenomenon of extraordinary physical strength, completely unexpected for such small animals. So, once a curious viper, left in the kitchen, moved ... a sideboard filled with dishes. In addition, physiological studies have confirmed that even such primitive animals dream! True, in echidnas, this process occurs only under special conditions - when the body temperature drops to 25 ° C.
