Echidna marsupial or not. Australian echidna (tachyglossus aculeatus). Reproduction and lifespan

Echidna- an amazing animal that combines several types of mammals. Outwardly, it resembles a porcupine, and in terms of lifestyle it resembles an anteater and.

Description and features of echidna

Echidna in the photo it resembles a porcupine due to its spiny back and small tail. However, its spines are not as long and have a brownish-yellow color. The coat of the animal is coarse, has a brown tint, which allows it to merge with dark soil and fallen leaves.

The spines are made of keratin and are hollow inside. The size of the echidna rarely exceeds half a meter in length, and its weight can be compared with an adult cat - up to 8 kg. Short clawed paws make the animal's gait clumsy, but the echidna swims perfectly. The limbs have claws that help destroy anthills, termite mounds, tear bark from trees, dig holes for protection and sleep.

On the hind legs there are long hooked claws, with which the echidna combs the hair between the spines. Males have a distinctive "spur" on their pelvic limbs. It was assumed that this spur contained poison, but this turned out to be an erroneous opinion.

The echidna has a very long and thin tongue covered with teeth.

Vision is poorly developed and the animal relies on hearing and smell. Echidna's amazingly sensitive ears are able to pick up the sounds of small insects underground and inside fallen trees. The main difference between echidna and other mammals is the presence of a cloaca, like in birds and amphibians.

The head is small, smoothly merges into the body. The animal does not have a pronounced neck. The beak has the form of a tube with a long and sticky, like an anteater, tongue (up to 25 cm). The teeth are missing, but they are replaced by keratin denticles and a hard palate against which food is rubbed.

Types of echidna

The echidna family is not very diverse. It is divided into 2 genera: real echidna and prochidna. There is a third genus, but it is considered extinct - Megalibgwilla. The zoologist who first described the echidna, due to the similarities in the structure of the oral cavity and tongue, classified it as a variety of anteaters.

The front paws of the echidna are equipped with powerful claws with which the echidna digs the soil.

After studying the animal, scientists later identified the animal to a separate family. The only true echidna is the Australian echidna. It has five subspecies, which are distinguished by their habitats.

Lifestyle and habitat

Lifestyle and habits echidnas in the natural habitat depend on many factors. Each subspecies has its own characteristics and habitat. The behavior of the animal depends on the climate and terrain. Echidna lives on the Australian continent, the islands of Papua New Guinea, Tasmania, as well as in the territories of Indonesia and the Philippines.

The Australian echidna is able to adapt to various climatic conditions. She can live in arid desert, in humid forests and foothills, where the temperature drops below 0.

When the cold season comes, the echidna hibernates. Her body accumulates fat, which allows her to survive the lack of food. Hibernation is not necessary for the animal. In a mild climate and in constant access to food, the echidna leads a normal life.

In the absence of its usual food in the form of small insects, the mammal is able to travel long distances, including on water, without food. Fat accumulated during a period of abundant nutrition ensures survival for up to a month.

For the life of an echidna, the presence of the main food is necessary, and the animal easily adapts to environmental and landscape conditions.

In the cold season, the echidna hibernates.

Features of the behavior of the echidna:

1. The animal leads a secretive life and prefers to stay awake at dusk or at night.
2. Does not create permanent residence.
3. When threatened, it burrows into the ground, spreading thorns on the surface. If the soil does not allow you to quickly burrow, then it curls up into a ball, like hedgehogs.
4. Does not create a couple and prefers loneliness.
5. Does not limit its territory.
6. Not aggressive towards its kind. Having met, two echidnas will disperse in different directions.
7. Chooses soft soils, leaves, crevices and fallen trees as a place to sleep.
8. Due to the low body temperature for a mammal (up to 33 degrees), it does not tolerate heat and cold. With a significant change in climatic conditions, it prefers to wait out the heat in the shade, and the strong cold in hibernation.

In a temperate climate, the echidna travels at any time of the day, but in hot and arid regions it waits out the heat of the day in the shade of trees and stones. At unfavorable temperatures, the animal becomes lethargic and slow. In this state, it is impossible to get away well from predators, so the animal hides until a favorable moment arrives.

The adaptability of the animal makes it easy to keep it in captivity. Echidna in Russia and lives in zoos in other countries. However, echidna breeds reluctantly in an artificial environment.

Food

Echidna feeds small . The main diet is ants and termites. The device of the oral cavity allows a thin and sticky tongue to penetrate deep into the dwelling of insects. Together with food, stones and sand enter the stomach of the animal, which are also involved in the digestion process. Together with ants, the echidna receives all the necessary substances, including water.

In the absence of anthills and termite mounds, the echidna animal temporarily replaces them with other small insects and larvae from trees. The special structure of the sense organs helps to detect insects. Good hearing, sense of smell and the presence of electrolocation allow you to quickly detect a cluster of termites or ants.

The echidna's tongue is ideally suited for collecting and eating small bugs. It is capable of making up to 50 bursts in 30 seconds. Such speed does not allow nimble insects to leave the devastated house. In the case of a lack of nutrition, the echidna changes its habitat. To do this, it is able to travel long distances by land and water. To search for food, the animal is not afraid to approach human settlements and farms.

Echidna's favorite food is ants, termites and other small invertebrates.

Echidna breeding

Echidna, an animal that prefers a solitary life, meets with its relatives only during the mating season. It lasts from late spring to early autumn. The female, ready for mating, emits a strong smell every two years and leaves marks that attract males. Several males take care of one female for a whole month.

During this period, echidnas live together. During the Australian winter they bask, eat and sleep together. After the stage of dating and courtship, the so-called "wedding ritual" begins.

A group of males, the number of which reaches 10 individuals, begin to circle around the female. They dig a ditch up to 30 cm deep and push rivals. In the end, the winner is determined, who is considered worthy of the "bride".

After the groom is determined, the process of intercourse begins. Animals lie on their side for an hour. A fertilized female leaves the male forever, the survival of future offspring depends only on her.

The gestation of the egg continues for four weeks. Echidna is an oviparous mammal. The echidna egg is about 15 mm in size. With the help of abdominal muscles, the female forms a fold on her stomach, into which she places the future cub. A week and a half later, a newborn echidna appears.

The animal is covered with translucent skin and completely helpless. In the region of the bag there is a milky field, to which the newborn crawls with the help of developed front paws. Echidnas do not have nipples, so pinkish milk is secreted directly onto the surface of the skin, where it is licked off by the young. Milk has a pink color due to its high iron content.

The echidna feeds its young with milk.

For about two months, the female carries a small echidna in her bag and feeds her with milk. The cub quickly gains weight, becomes overgrown with hair, eyes develop and open. After hatching, the size of the fetus is 1.5 centimeters, the weight is less than one gram, and after 2 months its weight reaches 400-430 grams. The grown offspring have spines, and the female hides them in a prepared hole.

Visits once a week to feed full fat milk. The little echidna is under the care of her mother for up to six months, after which she sets off on her own adult journey. Echidna reaches sexual maturity at the age of 2 years. The slow rate of reproduction and small offspring is associated with good survival and a long life span.

Lifespan and natural enemies

The life expectancy of the Australian echidna in the wild is about 16 years. In zoo conditions, there are cases when an individual lived up to 45 years. In their habitats, the echidna is rarely the target of hunting. A harmless animal senses a predator long before it is discovered. In such situations, the echidna leaves the hunter and hides in the thickets.

Echidna hides in thickets from its potential enemies.

If it is not possible to leave, she assumes a defensive posture. The predator, having found an impregnable "fortress" with thorns, most often does not take risks and retreats. If the animal is very hungry or has an overwhelming number, then they try to dig under the echidna from all sides in order to get to vulnerable places.

The main enemies are:

• Tasmanian devil;
• dog Dingo;
• feral dogs;
• foxes;
• human.

Locals hunt the animal for its delicious and healthy fat, and jewelry is made from its needles. The Australian echidna population is not on the verge of extinction. These harmless animals are often found in their natural habitat. The main enemies for the population are roads. Basically, this is due to the slowness of the animal.

An echidna animal can also be a pet. Due to its good disposition and non-aggressive behavior, it gets along with other inhabitants. When keeping a echidna, it is worth paying attention to her love of loneliness. The aviary should not be too small, located in the sun or in full view of everyone.

Echidna at home shows his craving for digging earth and rearranging stones. Therefore, if you let her out for a walk, it is important to exclude damage to valuable plants and compositions.

In captivity, the echidna is able to do without its usual diet of insects. She is a predator, so her diet includes chopped meat products, eggs, milk. Echidna will not refuse fruit puree, bread. Due to the absence of ants, the animal needs an additional source of water.

In any case, if an anthill or a termite mound appeared on the site, then this will be a special gift for a domestic echidna. Echidna is an amazing animal that lives only in and adjacent islands. This animal is considered one of the symbols of the state and is depicted on money, postcards and postage stamps.

Echidna, despite its appearance, resembling a cross between an anteater and a hedgehog, is actually the closest relative. This is another mammal that is capable of laying eggs.

The echidna family includes 3 genera: real echidnas (lat. Tachyglossus), prochidna (lat. Zaglossus) and the already extinct genus Megalibgwilia. In proechidnas, 3 species were previously distinguished, but now only 1 remains. Among the real echidnas, the Australian (lat. Tachyglossus aculeatus) and Tasmanian (lat. Tachyglossus setosus) are distinguished.

Australian echidna (lat. Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Already from the name of the animal, we can learn about its habitat. In addition to Australia, Tachyglossus aculeatus is found in Tasmania, New Guinea, and also on small islands in the Bass Strait. Australian echidnas can live in almost any part of the mainland, regardless of the landscape. Both wet forests and arid areas, both mountains and plains, can become their home. Even in cities, they are not so rare.

Habitat of the Australian echidna

True, echidnas do not tolerate heat and cold well, because they do not have sweat glands. In hot weather, they become lethargic, and at low temperatures they hibernate, which can last 4 months. During this period, they use up their subcutaneous fat reserves.

Outwardly, the Australian echidna, however, like the Tasmanian one, resembles a large hedgehog with an elongated muzzle like that of an anteater. His entire body, except for the abdomen and muzzle, is strewn with many sharp and hard needles. The head is covered with thick hairs.

The length of this animal does not exceed 45 centimeters, and the weight is not more than 5 kg. It is difficult to understand where the head ends and the body begins, since the neck is very short, which is a definite plus for the echidna. She, like a hedgehog, in case of danger, curls up into a ball, exposing huge 5-6-centimeter needles to the enemy.

Echidna curled up in a ball

At the same time, she tries to cover the only vulnerable spot on the body - the abdomen. For greater safety, the echidna can literally dig a small depression in the ground with its clawed front paws in just a minute. There she hides her muzzle and the front of the body. When trying to pull it out of there, the echidna is securely fixed with its claws and needles on the walls of the pit, and therefore it will take a lot of effort to carry out this action.

The elongated muzzle is a modified "beak", adapted to the extraction of insects that live in narrow crevices and minks. In most cases, these are ants, which are easy to pull out with a long sticky tongue, earthworms and other insects. The echidna's tongue can make up to 100 movements per minute. She has no real teeth. The horny teeth located on the back of the tongue help her grind food.

Echidnas love to eat well and eat a lot. To do this, they can walk quite long distances without stopping and resting, which can reach 10-15 kilometers per day.

Like the platypus, the "beak" of the echidna is covered with special electroreceptors that allow it to pick up the slightest fluctuations in the electric field of another animal. No other mammal has this feature.

The powerful echidna claws are excellent digging tools. Thanks to them, the animal easily creates a gap in the strong walls of termite mounds and anthills. With the help of elongated claws on the hind legs, echidnas clean their “spiky coat”.

Their eyesight is poor, but their hearing is excellent. But during the night foraging for food, they rely more on their sense of smell.

Echidnas are loners by nature. They unite in groups only with the beginning of the mating season, and then scatter again. They do not protect their territory, they do not build a permanent shelter. Echidnas are free and free to travel wherever they please. Any secluded place is suitable for sleeping and resting, whether it is a hole between the roots of trees, a crevice between stones, hollows of fallen trees, etc.

They move a little awkwardly. But they swim very well. Echidnas are able to swim across small bodies of water.

Reproduction of echidnas is a separate conversation. With the onset of the mating season, a small group consisting of several males begins to form around one female. For a while they feed together and move from place to place. After 4 weeks of courtship, the fight for the female begins, in which there will be only one winner.

After mating, the female goes to the construction of a brood chamber, where, 3-4 weeks after mating, she lays a single egg 15-17 mm long and weighing 1.5 g. This is where the fun begins.

For a long time, scientists could not understand how the egg ends up in the brood pouch, since the female cannot roll it into it either with her mouth or with her paws. The answer was found only in 2003 after a 12-year study of the behavior and life of echidnas in nature.

It turned out that before laying, the females begin to form a small fold in the area of ​​the supposed location of the future brood pouch. The female curls up into a ball while laying her egg. A special sticky secret begins to stand out in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe fold, which attaches the egg to the stomach, and then the fold around it begins to gradually stretch.

baby echidna

After 10 days of “hatching”, a tiny cub 15 mm long and weighing 0.5 g appears from the egg. It is blind, naked, its hind legs are practically not developed, but tiny fingers can already be seen on the front legs. Then he slowly moves to the front of the bag, where the pores that secrete milk are located.

With the onset of the growth of spines (at about 2 months of age), the mother escorts the cub out of her bag, builds a separate chamber for him and leaves him. True, not at all, once every 5-7 days she comes to feed him with milk. This continues until the age of 5-6 months, after which young echidnas begin an independent life and go on their journey called "life".

Echidnas are long-lived. In nature, their age can reach 16 years, and when kept in a zoo - 45 years.

These animals are not endangered. Perhaps because they are of little use to a person, and natural enemies, such as a dingo dog, foxes or monitor lizards, cannot cause serious damage to their numbers.

Echidna can be found not only in nature, but also on the Australian 5-cent coin, as well as on postage stamps.

echidnas (Tachyglossidae) - a family of mammals of the monotreme order. Also known by their Australian name "spiny anteater", they are the only extant animals from the monotreme series, with the exception of the platypus. There are currently three types malicious united in two genera of the echidna family.
Echidna covered with coarse wool and needles. The maximum length of their body is approximately 30 centimeters. Their jaws are elongated into a narrow "beak". Echidna limbs are short and very strong, with large claws, making these animals powerful diggers. Echidnas do not have teeth, they have a very small mouth, so they feed by licking termites, ants and other small invertebrates with their long sticky tongue, which are crushed by pressing their tongue against the sky in their mouths.
E shy most of the year (except for the mating season, which occurs in the middle of winter, usually in July and August) live alone. They are territorial animals, but neighboring territories may overlap somewhat. Echidna all the time slowly walks its territory in search of prey, without having a permanent lair. Despite its thick and clumsy body, it swims well, and is able to cross fairly large bodies of water.
These animals have fairly sharp eyesight, and quickly notice the slightest movement around them. In case of disturbance or some kind of threat, the echidna quickly hides in dense bush, or in earthen or rock crevices. In the absence of such natural hiding places, the echidna burrows surprisingly quickly into the ground until only a few needles from the uppermost region of the back remain outside. Or, if the terrain is flat and open, and the ground is hard, they simply curl into a ball.
Few predators can cope with such a defense: experienced dingoes, foxes, sometimes cats and pigs can kill an adult echidna by catching it on a patch of hard, equal soil and attacking it in the belly (the ball into which the echidna turns is not solid). Also, according to some reports, Australian monitor lizards prey on young vipers. The female echidna lays one soft-shelled egg 22 days after mating and places it in her pouch. "Incubation" takes ten days; the cub then feeds on milk, which is secreted by the pores of the skin on two milk fields (monotreme mammals do not have nipples) and remains in the mother's pouch for 45 to 55 days, when its needles begin to grow. After that, the mother digs a baby hole, where she leaves the cub, returning every 4-5 days to feed him with milk. Thus, the young echidna feeds until it reaches the age of seven months.
Modern echidnas are united in the echidna family and are divided into two genera:

1. The genus Zaglossus (prochidna) includes two extant species, as well as two species known from fossils.
2. the genus Tachyglossus (echidna) includes the only extant species, and no extinct species have been found in it at present.

O ba species of this genus are endemic to New Guinea. Both of them are rare, but lately so that the natives of this island hunt them for food. These echidnas feed on leaf litter in forests, preying on worms and insects.

Australian echidna. The Australian echidna lives in the southeast of New Guinea and almost throughout Australia: from the Australian Alps, where snow falls in winter, to the deserts of the middle of the continent; wherever you can find its main food - ants and termites. The size of this species is somewhat smaller than the species of the genus Zaglossus, and the length of the coat is longer: in the subspecies that lives in the region with the coldest winters (on the island of Tasmania), the coat is sometimes even longer than the needle.
This echidna is a long-lived species and a species that easily adapts to different conditions. In the mountains in winter, it hibernates, and in the desert during the hot daytime it hides in the crevices of rocks, and comes out to hunt only at night (in other parts of the range it is a diurnal species). At the same time, in the desert in cool weather, the short-nosed echidna can be active during the day.

Echidna is a very unusual animal. It is small-feeding, feeds on ants, is covered with thorns, has a tongue like a woodpecker. Echidnas also lay eggs.

Who is the echidna?

Echidna is not talked about in the news and is not written in fairy tales. You can rarely hear about this animal in general. This is partly due to the fact that there are not so many echidnas, or rather their habitats, on Earth. Today they live only in Australia, New Guinea and some islands in the Brass Strait.

Outwardly, the echidna is very similar to a hedgehog or. On its back there are several dozen sharp needles that the animal can raise in case of danger. The muzzle and belly of the echidna are covered with short fur. The "calling card" is a long nose, which makes them relatives of another rare animal - the platypus. Echidnas are a whole family. It includes three genera, but representatives of one of them no longer exist.

The usual body length of the echidna is 30 centimeters. Short legs are equipped with powerful claws. With their help, the animal knows how to dig well and quickly digs holes even in hard soil. When there is no reliable shelter nearby, and danger is nearby, the echidna is able to dig into the ground, leaving only a hemisphere with sharp needles on the surface. If necessary, echidnas can swim well and overcome long water barriers.

Echidnas lay eggs. There is only one egg in the "laying" and is located in a special bag. The cub is born after 10 days and lives in the same bag for the first month and a half. The nutrition of a small echidna is produced by milk, but not from the nipples, but from special pores in certain places of the body, called milk fields. After a month and a half, the mother places the cub in a prepared hole and feeds milk every five days until the age of seven months.

Echidna lifestyle

The animal leads a solitary lifestyle, forming pairs only during the mating season. The echidna doesn't have a nest or anything like that. Any suitable place becomes a refuge and a resting place. Leading a nomadic lifestyle, the echidna has learned to see the slightest danger in advance and instantly respond to it.

The arsenal of detection tools includes a keen sense of smell, excellent hearing and special receptor cells that detect changes in the electromagnetic field around the animal. Thanks to this, the echidna captures the movements of even such tiny living organisms as ants. This ability helps not only to notice the danger in time, but also to find food.

The main "dish" in the diet of echidnas is ants and termites. The long thin nose of the animal is maximally adapted for their prey from narrow cracks, manholes and holes. But the main role in obtaining insects is played by the tongue. It is very thin, sticky in echidna and is able to stretch out of the mouth to a length of up to 18 centimeters. Ants stick to the mucosa and are transported to the mouth. In the same way, woodpeckers get insects from under the bark of trees.

Another interesting fact is the absence of teeth in echidnas. In general, you do not need to chew on ants, but the animal eats not only them. The diet also includes worms, some insects and even shellfish! To crush them, the echidna's mouth has small keratin growths rubbing against the palate. Thanks to them, the food is ground and enters the stomach.

In search of food, the echidna turns over rocks, turns up fallen leaves, and can even remove the bark from fallen trees. With a good food base, it accumulates a fatty layer that helps to survive a possible lack of food in the future. When "hard times" come, the echidna can live without food for up to a month.

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, and 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 babies, even at an 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 turns out to be incomplete, sometimes the predator manages to grab the echidna by the soft belly and eat it. 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.