Where does the short-beaked echidna live?
The short-beaked echidna lives across almost all of Australia: it is absent only from a few northern islands. It is the native mammal with the largest range in the country. It lives alone and, apart from the burrow dug to rear its young, it has no fixed shelter. It does not defend a territory, but ranges over a wide area, observed to be 21 to 93 hectares.
What does the short-beaked echidna eat?
It is covered in fur and spines, with a distinctive snout and a specialised tongue, which it uses to catch its insect prey at great speed. It has extremely strong front limbs and claws, which let it burrow quickly. Like the other monotremes, it lays eggs. It has no weapons, but deters predators by curling into a ball. It cannot sweat and deals poorly with heat, so it avoids daytime activity in hot weather.
Is the short-beaked echidna endangered?
No: the IUCN lists it as Least Concern. Since it needs to survive underground, it tolerates high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen.
