The unusual animals called echidnas are also known as spiny anteaters even
though some eat mostly earthworms. The long-nosed echidna is larger than the
short-nosed species. They are small mammals found throughout Australia and are
covered with coarse hair and spine and the color of the hair varies with the
locations they live in. In the northern, hotter regions, echidnas are light
brown, but they become darker with thicker hair further south.
Including the tail, long-nosed echidnas usually have a length of about 24
inches (61 centimeters). They also have a narrow, hairless snout is between
7 and 8 cm long, a small mouth, and a sticky tongue. Adult echidnas vary in
size, from 35 to 53 cm. Males weigh about 6 kilograms, while females weigh about
4.5 kilograms. They have very short, strong limbs with large claws and are powerful
diggers.
They do not have teeth. Echidnas are usually active at night. During the hottest
parts of the day they seek shelter. For self-defense, an echidna can burrow
or wedge itself partway into the ground so that it presents nothing but spines
to an attacker. Very few animals bother echidnas because of the spikes on their
bodies.
Echidna when frightened it will curl into a ball, with its snout and legs
tucked beneath it and its sharp spines sticking out. They will hide themselves
beneath the rock to hide from predators such as dogs, eagles and dingo. Echidnas
have been known to live for as long as 16 years in the wild, but generally their
life span is thought to be under 10 years.
