Mysterious Monotremes! Part 2 of 2

1. The western long-beaked echidna is a unique animal from New Guinea and is the largest monotreme, weighing nearly 40 pounds. They primarily eat earthworms and use their strong claws for digging and protection. They have a brief mating season and usually have one offspring. The echidna has spines like a porcupine, a beak like a bird, a pouch like a kangaroo, and lays eggs like a reptile. Also known as spiny anteaters, they're very solitary mammals. They are critically endangered due to poaching and habitat loss. Have you ever heard of this fascinating animal before this survey?

2. The short-beaked echidna has a furry brown coat with spiny quills, resembling a hedgehog. It uses its sticky tongue to catch and crush ants, lacks teeth, and has a keen sense of smell. The female lays an egg after a 20 to 30-day gestation, and the hatchling nurses in a pouch. The short-beaked Echidna is the only species of echidna in Australia. They live in forests and woodlands, heath, grasslands and arid environments. These animals have extremely strong front limbs and claws, which allows it to burrow quickly with great power. As it needs to be able to survive underground, it has a significant tolerance to high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen. It has no weapons or fighting ability but repels predators by curling into a ball and deterring them with its spines. Do you think this odd critter looks like a hedgehog?

3. Sir David's long-beaked echidna, which is also commonly known as Attenborough's long-beaked echidna (or the Cyclops long-beaked echidna), both names honoring Sir David Attenborough, the long-beaked echidna is the smallest echidna and is critically endangered. These nocturnal and solitary animals have spurs on their hind legs for defense. Found in the Cyclops Mountains in Indonesia's New Guinea region, they come together once a year to mate. The female builds a burrow for her egg, and after the young grow spines and fur, they live alone. According to the IUCN's Red List, Sir David's long-beaked echidna is critically endangered. Have you ever watched any of Sir David's award winning programs?