Echidna is an animal that resembles a porcupine in appearance, lays eggs like a bird, carries a cub in a bag like a kangaroo, and eats like an anteater. Together with the platypus, this animal belongs to the mammals that lay eggs.
Habitat
Echidna (animal), whose habitat is distributed only in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, 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 orientation in the area, since vision is very poorly developed.
The animal moves on four short five-toed paws, which are distinguished by their muscularity. On fingersthere are long claws, 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, prickly small mammal that digs very well and has a long, tube-shaped beak.
Lifestyle
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. As darkness falls, the animals feel cool and come out of their hiding places.
In the cold areas of the mainland, the onset of 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 hibernate. But in winter, they can still sleep for a certain time.
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
The main food for the animal are ants. 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. Work does not stop until a deep tunnel is dug up to the destruction of solidthe outer layer of the building.
The echidna (animal) sticks a long tongue into the tunnel, which is pressed by many biting ants. It remains only to quickly return the tongue to the mouth along with food. In addition to ants, earth, sand, and tree bark enter the digestive system.
Such food 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 to find each other, they 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 animal. 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 pouch emerges a baby, 12 millimeters in size. He is incapable ofindependent life: covered with primary skin, blind, feeds on mother's milk. He lives in a bag until he weighs about 400 grams.
Next, the female hides the cub in a hole or in a bush. She visits him every other day for feeding. This age is considered the most dangerous for the animal, as it is still defenseless.
Method of feeding a baby echidna
Being in a pouch, the cub does not leave it until the mother decides to take it out. He feeds on her milk, which has a pinkish color and a very thick consistency. In this way, it is similar to the nutritious 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.
Methods of protection
The main means of protection are a shield with needles and claws. The animal has no natural enemies known to scientists. But there are cases when dingo dogs attacked echidnas and ate them along with a shield of needles. One day, a dead python was found with a spiny animal stuck in it.
When sensing danger, an echidna (a cautious animal) very quickly starts 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 resort is a foul-smelling liquid released in case of serious danger towho dared to disturb him.
