Summary ⁷

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. It is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which it uses to catch its insect prey at a great speed. Like the other extant monotremes, the short-beaked echidna lays eggs; the monotremes are the only group of mammals to do so.

Sources and Credits

1. (c) David Cook, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/kookr/4716726420/
2. (c) Simon Grove, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Simon Grove, https://www.flickr.com/photos/simongrovetmag/21974496992/
3. (c) Bill & Mark Bell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/48991563@N06/4962549786/
4. (c) Steve Bittinger, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/sbittinger/6134990167/
5. (c) Ryan Somma, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/ideonexus/2169612850/
6. (c) Photo by David J. Stang, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tachyglossus_aculeatus_6zz.jpg
7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachyglossus_aculeatus

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• ASM Mammal Diversity Database
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• iNaturalist Mammal Working Group
• VertNet

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