Short-beaked echidna fact sheet - barrugin

What is a short-beaked echidna?

The short-beaked echidna is a native egg-laying mammal known as a monotreme. They are easily recognised by their sharp spines, stocky bodies, short legs and long snout. The short-beaked echidna is the only species of echidna in Australia.

The scientific name of the short-beaked echidna is  Tachyglossus aculeatus  which means 'quick tongue' and 'spiny' in Latin. They are sometimes called the spiny ant-eater.

The echidna is called  barrugin  by the Darug Peoples of the Sydney basin.

Short-beaked echidna

What do short-beaked echidnas look like?

The short-beaked echidna is covered with strong and sharp spines. The spines are made of keratin which is the same substance human fingernails are made of.

The colour of these unique mammals ranges from light brown to black. Generally the echidnas found in warmer parts of the country will be lighter in colour. Those that live in the cooler parts will be darker with thicker hair covering their bodies.

A short-beaked echidna showing its sharp spines, stocky body, short legs and long snout

Short-beaked echidnas have strong sharp spines made of keratin.

The short-beaked echidna’s tubular snout is stiff to allow it to probe around in the dirt as it searches for food. Their small mouths are on the underside of their snout. Short-beaked echidnas have sticky saliva covered tongues which can be up to 17 centimetres long.

The short stout limbs of these echidnas are well suited to scratching and digging in search of food or creating a burrow to shelter in. The hind feet point backwards which helps them push soil away when burrowing.

Two of the claws on each of an echidna's back feet are used for grooming. Male echidnas have non-venomous spurs on their hind feet. Short-beaked echidnas have short stubby tails.

Adult short-beaked echidnas range in size from 35 to 53 centimetres long. Males can weigh up to about 6 kilograms whilst females can weigh up to 4.5 kilograms.

Where do short-beaked echidnas live?

Short-beaked echidnas are found throughout Australia. They are found in almost all ecosystems including forests, heathland, grasslands and desert environments. Echidnas are also common in suburban areas close to bushland, although their camouflage can make them difficult to spot.

During extreme weather echidnas take shelter by burrowing into the soil or hiding under vegetation, in hollow logs, rock crevices or by using burrows created by wombats or rabbits.

Amazingly, echidnas are good swimmers. They’ve been seen crossing rivers and creeks with their snouts poking above the water’s surface like a snorkel.

Short-beaked echidnas can be found in many environments.

What do short-beaked echidnas eat?

Short-beaked echidnas feed by poking around rocks and logs and tearing open soft logs, anthills and termite mounds. It uses its long, sticky tongue which protrudes from its snout to collect prey.

Short-beaked echidnas' main food source is termites but they will also eat ants, beetles, worms and other invertebrates.

Having a specialised diet consisting mainly of one food source means that the short-beaked echidna has few competitors for food.

Short-beaked echidnas pull apart termite mounds searching for their prey.

How do short-beaked echidnas benefit the ecosystem?

Echidna | Field of Mars EEC (0:48 min) |

How are short-beaked echidnas adapted to their environment?

Short-beaked echidnas have physical and behavioural adaptations to protect themselves from predators. They use their keen sense of smell for detecting predators. Upon sensing a predator, short-beaked echidnas quickly wedge themselves beneath rocks or burrow straight down into soft soil. The colour and shape of echidna's spines act as camouflage in the surrounding ground layer. Echidnas also curl into a ball when threatened, protecting their soft belly and exposing only their sharp spines to the predator.

Echidnas are well adapted to searching for food. Their short muscular legs, long feet, large claws and strong snout allows them to burrow into ant nests, termite mounds and rotten logs as well as turn over leaf litter, logs and even large stones. The echidna's long snout and tongue allows them to reach deep into termite mounds. As they poke their tongue into every corner of these mounds, termites stick to the sticky saliva on their tongue.

Echidnas have also been observed using their sticky saliva as a trap. They lie on top of an ant nest or termite mound, stick out their tongues and wait. As the ants or termites walk onto the tongue they become stuck.

A short-beaked echidna using its strong sharp spines for protection

What is the life cycle of short-beaked echidnas?

Echidnas and platypus are the only monotremes – egg-laying mammals.

For most of the year echidnas are solitary animals. Scientists believe each animal's territory is large and often overlaps with that of other echidnas. During the breeding season they use their strong sense of smell to locate one another.

Short-beaked echidnas lay one egg at a time into their pouch. The eggs hatch after about 10 days and the young emerge blind and hairless. The baby echidna clings to hairs inside the mother's pouch and suckles for two or three months. Female echidnas don't have teats but have a patch of skin trough which milk secretes.

Once the young echidna, known as a puggle, develops spines and becomes too prickly the mother removes it from her pouch and builds a burrow for it. The puggle will continue to suckle for the next six months.

A baby echidna is called a puggle.

What threats do short-beaked echidnas face?

Short-beaked echidnas have few natural enemies but they may be killed by cars, dogs and foxes. Cats have been known to take young echidnas.

Related fact sheets

More mammal fact sheets

• Mammals – overview
• Common ringtail possum
• Long nosed bandicoot

Habitats and environments used by echidnas

• Leaf litter habitats
• Ground cover habitats
• Rock and log habitats
• Eucalypt forest
• Field of Mars Reserve

Animals linked through food webs

• Red fox (introduced predator)
• Invertebrates – overview (shared habitats)