Echidna

Echidna Temporal range: Miocene–Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Short-beaked echidna
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Monotremata
Suborder:	Tachyglossa
Family:	Tachyglossidae Gill, 1872
Species
Genus Tachyglossus    T. aculeatus Genus Zaglossus    Z. attenboroughi    Z. bruijnii    Z. bartoni    †Z. hacketti    †Z. robustus Genus †Megalibgwilia    †M. ramsayi    †M. robusta

Echidna, the spiny anteater,^[1] is a monotreme that lives in Australia and in New Guinea. They are the living members of the family Tachyglossidae.

Echnidas have a long, tube-like mouth with a sticky tongue. They are also covered in spines. They have mammary glands, and lay eggs.^[2]

The echidna has a method of protecting itself. With its long, sharp claws, they quickly dig a hole until only their spines are showing when they are hiding in the hole. The predator is not be able to get it without injuring itself on the spines. When there is a fire, the echidna digs down out of reach of the fire.

1. ↑ Echidna Retrieved on 21 October 2007
2. ↑ "7 things you might not know about echidnas". www.environment.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 2020-12-04.