12 Things You Didn't Know About the Strange and Spiky Echidna
9. Baby Echidnas Are Called Puggles
Baby echidnas are called puggles, a name they share with a common mixed breed of dog. They hatch from their eggs after 10 days of gestation, then move out of their mothers' pouches after about two months, just when they begin developing their signature spines. The puggles will then stay in burrows, being fed by their mothers every five to seven days, until they're about 7 months old, when they go off to live on their own.
10. Males and Females Have Foot Spurs for Different Reasons
Short-beaked Echidna showcasing its spur
Ken Griffiths / Getty Images
A 2013 study published in PLOS ONE found that although both males and females have spurs on their hind legs, those spurs serve very different purposes.5 Males use their spurs to release venom, directed at other males during the breeding season. Females, on the other hand, are thought to release a milky substance from their spurs that attract mates. The latter loses theirs before maturity.
11. They Have Surprisingly Long Life Spans
Their consistently low body temperatures and slow metabolism are likely to play a major role in echidnas' strikingly long life spans. These animals can live between 30 and 50 years both in the wild and in captivity, but research shows they tend to live longer in captivity.1 That's more than twice as long as its closest relative, the platypus, lives — which is about 17 years, on average.
12. Most Echidna Species Are Critically Endangered
Western long-beaked echidna or Zaglossus bruijni from New Guinea
Julien Viry / Getty Images
Due to habitat destruction and hunting, the eastern long-beaked echidna, western long-beaked echidna, and Sir David’s long-beaked echidna — named after Sir David Attenborough — are critically endangered. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the entire long-beaked variety has declined 80% in population over the past 50 years. In Australia, many are hit by cars. The more populous fourth species, the short-beaked echidna, is labeled Least Concern and is protected by Australian law.
Baby echidnas are called puggles, a name they share with a common mixed breed of dog. They hatch from their eggs after 10 days of gestation, then move out of their mothers' pouches after about two months, just when they begin developing their signature spines. The puggles will then stay in burrows, being fed by their mothers every five to seven days, until they're about 7 months old, when they go off to live on their own.
10. Males and Females Have Foot Spurs for Different Reasons
Short-beaked Echidna showcasing its spur
Ken Griffiths / Getty Images
A 2013 study published in PLOS ONE found that although both males and females have spurs on their hind legs, those spurs serve very different purposes.5 Males use their spurs to release venom, directed at other males during the breeding season. Females, on the other hand, are thought to release a milky substance from their spurs that attract mates. The latter loses theirs before maturity.
11. They Have Surprisingly Long Life Spans
Their consistently low body temperatures and slow metabolism are likely to play a major role in echidnas' strikingly long life spans. These animals can live between 30 and 50 years both in the wild and in captivity, but research shows they tend to live longer in captivity.1 That's more than twice as long as its closest relative, the platypus, lives — which is about 17 years, on average.
12. Most Echidna Species Are Critically Endangered
Western long-beaked echidna or Zaglossus bruijni from New Guinea
Julien Viry / Getty Images
Due to habitat destruction and hunting, the eastern long-beaked echidna, western long-beaked echidna, and Sir David’s long-beaked echidna — named after Sir David Attenborough — are critically endangered. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the entire long-beaked variety has declined 80% in population over the past 50 years. In Australia, many are hit by cars. The more populous fourth species, the short-beaked echidna, is labeled Least Concern and is protected by Australian law.
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15 March 2024
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