Endangered Species Project Long-Beaked Echidna (Zaglossus bruijni) Tim Parker

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordate Class: Mammalia Order: Monotremata Family: Tachyglossidae Genus species: Zaglossus bruijni

Physical Description Weight: 5 to 16 kg. Length: mm. Hair: Black, yellow and brown. Quills

Physical Description Short tail. Long, “tubular” snout No teeth, small spikes on tongue. Claws. animals%20&%20Nature/pages/ECHIDNA.htm

Lives in New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia.

Niche It is a scavenger - helps control the worm/ ant population Babies are hunted by foxes/snakes Adults are hunted by wild cats and dogs. They are one of few egg-laying mammals. They

Food Nocturnal, forages the forest floor. Eats mostly earthworms; also termites, larvae and ants. It burrows for the worms. Positions the worm to go into the snout head first. The tongue comes out and grabs the worm. The little spikes grab the worm as the tongue retracts and the worm is swallowed.

Shelter It shelters in hollow logs, cavities under roots or rocks, and burrows.

Reproduction Female emits a scent that attracts males. Breeding season is July. It’s a monotreme: Is a mammal that lays eggs (rubbery shells). Litters are 4-6 and take about 40 days from conception to hatching. Females begin mating when they are every three years old. They mate every three years to seven years.

Endangerment Hunting with trained dogs by the New Guinean people as well as loss of natural forest habitat due to farming are the primary causes for the species' endangerment. Data tabulated in 1982 indicated that only 1.6 Zaglossus existed per square kilometer of suitable habitat. If the data were accurate, about 300,000 long-nosed echidnas were in existence then, and the number has dropped since that time (Walker, 1991).

Conclusion They can be protected by

References Cross, Danielle. “Zaglossus Bruijni: Long-Nosed Echidna”. 17 October World Wildlife Fund Species Under Threat: Long-beaked Echidna AnimalInfo.org “Long-beaked echidna”

Goodbye!