Echidnas

We visited the Sydney zoo last week. There were lots of cool animals like the Kangaroo – Famous marsupial with powerful legs for hopping. Koala – A nocturnal tree-dweller that eats only eucalyptus Wombats – Bear like, beaver? (Very strange!)Kookaburra – The world’s largest kingfisher bird  Dingo – A wild dog that feeds mainly on small animals. Frilled-neck lizard – A reptile that runs on two legs when threatened. Tawny frogmouth – A master of camouflage that looks like a tree branch. Platypus – A bizarre egg-laying mammal with a duckbill. Echidnas – The strangest animal known to mankind(in my opinionSydney funnel-web spider – The world’s deadliest spider. Quokka – Known as “the world’s happiest animal” due to its cute smile. Tasmanian devil – A tough scavenger with the strongest bite for its size.

The most interesting animal to me was the short beaked Echidna. I didn’t know a lot about it so I did some research. Here’s what I learned:Echidnas are found throughout almost all of Oceania, mostly Australia. All throughout mainland Australia, as well as Tasmania. They are Australia’s most widespread native mammal. Echidnas are found in almost all habitats from snowy mountains to deserts in the Australian outback.The Echidna is an amazing animal with amazing adaptations the echidna is sort of like a spiny anteaterIt has long sharp spines and a long tongue to eat ants. Like a hedgehog, the Echidna has an amazing sense of smell to find ants. They also have something else that’s amazing… Echidnas can sense the electromagnetism that every living thing gives off. It is the only land animal able to do this. The echidnas also have super strength. Although only weighing up to 3 pounds, Echidnas can push boulders and mounds of dirt weighing 44 pounds. When threatened, echidnas roll up into an impenetrable ball( Warning, very spiky!) Echidnas spines look just like soft fur so be carful!

Echidnas are awake during the day, but can be found hunting at night in the warmer months. Ecdnias make burrows to shelter them and their young (they are solitary but raise their young for 6 months!). Even though being a mammal, echidnas lay eggs. It is the only animal like this besides the platypus(a extremely cute, small furry friend with a duck beak)

Adult echidnas have few predators but there are some dingoes, goannas, foxes, domestic dogs, feral cats, and eagles(although snakes usually aren’t a problem, they can sneak into burrows and feed on their puggles(offspring). Echidnas are not endangered but their biggest threat is introduced species, but if they were to go extinct it could be bad. Echidnas turn the soil to help plants grow, they also control populations of other species, acting as prey or predator. My favorite thing about Echidnas is that they have offspring called puggles. Puggle is very fun to say!