Echidna

An echidna is an egg-laying mammal native to Australia and New Guinea. Its distinctive spines, elongated snout, and specialized tongue help it forage for ants and termites.

Monotreme: A mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. Echidnas belong to this small mammalian group alongside platypuses.
Echidna tongue: A long, sticky tongue used by echidnas to capture ants and termites. Its rapid extension and retraction bring prey into the mouth.
Monotreme evolution: The evolutionary history of mammals that lay eggs, including echidnas and platypuses. Echidna ancestry belongs to the ancient monotreme branch of mammals.
Monotreme genomics: The study of monotreme genomes to investigate mammalian evolution and unusual biological traits. Echidna DNA helps reveal which traits monotremes share with other mammals.
Spine: A stiff, pointed structure that grows from an animal’s skin. Echidna spines provide defense and are modified hairs.
Echidna reproduction: The reproductive cycle of echidnas, including egg-laying, incubation, and care of young. It explains how a mammal produces and incubates a leathery egg.
Australosphenida: A proposed group of mammals that includes monotremes and several extinct southern-hemisphere species. Fossils and evolutionary analyses place monotremes within this debated lineage.
Mammalian lactation: The production and delivery of milk by mammary glands to nourish young mammals. Echidnas nurse their young despite lacking nipples.
Electroreception: The detection of electrical fields through specialized sensory receptors. Electroreception helps echidnas detect prey beneath soil.
Puggle: A young monotreme, especially a juvenile echidna or platypus. The hatchling remains in its mother’s pouch while it develops.

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