The echidna, also known as the spiny anteater, is a unique mammal native to Australia and New Guinea. It is covered in sharp spines and has a long, pointed snout. The echidna’s name comes from the Greek word “echinos,” which means “hedgehog.” Despite its superficial resemblance to hedgehogs, the echidna is more closely related to the platypus.
The echidna is an egg-laying mammal, and the female lays a single egg in a burrow. The egg hatches after about 10 days, and the young echidna, called a puggle, stays in the burrow with its mother for several months. The echidna is a solitary animal and is not territorial. It feeds on ants and termites, which it catches with its long, sticky tongue.
