12 Things You Didn't Know About the Strange and Spiky Echidna
7. Each Spine Can Be Moved Independently
Spines | Short-beaked Echidna
Xavier Hoenner Photography / Getty Images
Made of keratin and growing to be as long as 2 inches with sharp ends, its barbless quills are actually more like hair than spikes. There are muscles at the base of each spine that allow the echidna to move them independently. This comes in handy for wedging itself tightly into rock crevices for protection, or righting itself if it ever gets rolled onto its back.
Spines | Short-beaked Echidna
Xavier Hoenner Photography / Getty Images
Made of keratin and growing to be as long as 2 inches with sharp ends, its barbless quills are actually more like hair than spikes. There are muscles at the base of each spine that allow the echidna to move them independently. This comes in handy for wedging itself tightly into rock crevices for protection, or righting itself if it ever gets rolled onto its back.
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15 March 2024
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