Does the short-beaked echidna lay eggs?

Yes. It is one of only a few living egg-laying mammals, or monotremes, along with the platypus. It lays a single small egg, about 14–16 mm across, which hatches in roughly 10 days.

How does the short-beaked echidna find food?

It uses electroreceptors in its snout, sensitive enough to detect fields as weak as 1.8 mV/cm—about 1,000 times more sensitive than human touch—to locate ants and termites, which it then catches with a sticky tongue.

Do short-beaked echidnas hibernate?

Yes, during the Australian winter. Their already low body temperature of 30–32°C can drop to nearly 5°C, and heart rate falls from a resting 50–68 beats per minute to just 4–7.

Short-beaked Echidnaハリモグラ

Tachyglossus aculeatusLC— Least Concern

The short-beaked echidna is a spine-covered, egg-laying monotreme found throughout Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, making it Australia's most widespread native mammal. Equipped with an electroreceptive snout and a sticky tongue for catching ants and termites, it also has an unusually low body temperature that can drop close to 5°C during hibernation. Despite being classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, it faces local threats from vehicle strikes and habitat loss.

Short-beaked Echidna (reference photo) — Photo: Calistemon / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Monotremata / Tachyglossidae Source
Distribution: Found throughout mainland Australia, Tasmania, and the coastal and highland regions of eastern New Guinea, making it Australia's most widespread native mammal. Source

Did You Know?

Along with the platypus, the short-beaked echidna is one of only a handful of egg-laying mammals; it lays a single egg about 14–16 mm in diameter, which hatches after roughly 10 days. Source
Its snout contains electroreceptors sensitive enough to detect electric fields of just 1.8 mV/cm, roughly 1,000 times more sensitive than human touch. Source
Its resting body temperature of 30–32°C is unusually low for a mammal, and during hibernation it can drop to nearly 5°C while heart rate falls from a resting 50–68 beats per minute to just 4–7. Source

Where to See This Species

1 facilities · 0 individuals

東京都恩賜上野動物園 (Toukyoutoonshiueno Doubutsuen)TokyoOpened in 1882

東京都恩賜上野動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

IUCNではLC（低懸念）です。

Habitat

森林、草原、砂地など多様な環境。

Threats

道路交通
生息地の改変
外来捕食者

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

生息地の保全
ロードキルの低減
単孔類の生態を伝える飼育展示

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

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FAQ

Does the short-beaked echidna lay eggs?: Yes. It is one of only a few living egg-laying mammals, or monotremes, along with the platypus. It lays a single small egg, about 14–16 mm across, which hatches in roughly 10 days. Source
How does the short-beaked echidna find food?: It uses electroreceptors in its snout, sensitive enough to detect fields as weak as 1.8 mV/cm—about 1,000 times more sensitive than human touch—to locate ants and termites, which it then catches with a sticky tongue. Source
Do short-beaked echidnas hibernate?: Yes, during the Australian winter. Their already low body temperature of 30–32°C can drop to nearly 5°C, and heart rate falls from a resting 50–68 beats per minute to just 4–7. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org