The
echidna's spiny armour acts as an excellent defence. When threatened, the
echidna will roll into a ball of spines or wedge itself into a crevice for
protection.
It has fur between its spines. The colder the climate, the longer and thicker the fur.
Echidnas use their long, narrow snout and long tongue to probe into the tunnels of ant and termite nests. Then they trap the insects on a coating of sticky saliva.
They are monotremes, meaning that they are egg-laying mammals. After laying a single, soft shelled egg, the female will store it in her pouch until it hatches about 10 days later. She does not have nipples, but many pores on her belly that secrete milk. The baby will stay in the pouch until its spines start to grow. After this time, it will be left in a burrow while mother forages for food.
Echidna
Fact Sheet
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