By Ameya, Lucy & Rajvi 

Kingdom: | Animalia
Phylum: | Chordata
Class: | Mammalia
Order: | Monotremata
Family: | Tachyglossidae

Ameya, Lucy & Rajvi

Fun fact: Koalas climb down trees to move between trees

These prickly little guys evolved between 20 and 50 million years ago, but are still considered quite enigmatic by researchers and scientists. This species of monotremes (a unique, egg-laying mammal) is one of 3 in the world! (And in case you’re wondering, the only other is the platypus.) 

Today, there are two genera of echidna – the Long-beaked Echidna (belonging to the genus Zaglossus), which are native to New Guinea, and of course the Short-beaked echidna (belonging to the Tachyglossus genus), of which there are over 20 who call Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary home, including a gorgeous puggle called Pooh Bear who’s recently joined the family!

These unique characters were actually named after “Echidna” – a creature from Greek mythology who was renowned as the “Mother of Monsters”, believed to be a half woman, half snake. Why, you ask? Well, the animal was perceived by scientists early on to have both reptilian and mammalian features – just like their namesake. 

Believe it or not, echidnas have toothless jaws… yep, that’s right – not one single tooth. Instead, they put their slender snouts and strong claws to work, tearing open logs, ant hills and other food sources, then use their long sticky tongues (we’re talking 15cm long!)

Of all the mammals in the world, echidnas have the second lowest body temperature (after the platypus), which is good news for their life span – on average, they’ve been known to live for up to 50 years in captivity, and 45 years in the wild. This is primarily attributed to their low body temperature and oh-so-slow metabolism. 

Ameya, Lucy & Rajvi

Ashleigh & Jasreet