For my Trivia Thursday post, I asked my eldest child what animal had a lot of interesting trivia concerning it. She suggested the echidna, and I thought that sounded like a good idea.

So here are some fun echidna facts!

• There are only five mammals in the world that lay eggs (A/K/A monotremes), and those include four species of echidna and the platypus.
• Echidnas are named after a figure in Greek mythology who was half-woman and half-snake. (There is some debate about this. They may be named after a Greek word that is used to mean sea urchin or hedgehog.)
• Their spines are a type of hair and are made of keratin, much like claws and fur.
• Their snouts have electroreceptors that help them find insects like earthworms and ants underground. Dolphins also have electroreceptors, and we don’t know of any other mammals that do. (Fish are another story.)
• Echidnas are diggers and can use their strong claws to break open logs. One of their claws is especially long and is used for grooming.
• Echidnas lack teeth. They use a long, thin, and sticky tongue like an anteater to get their prey.
• They can swim to bathe themselves and assist with grooming.
• The males have spurs on their hind legs. These secrete a milky substance in mating season that is believed to serve as scent communication.
• They can live up to 50 years in captivity.
• When a female lays an egg (which is leathery like a snake egg), she deposits it into her pouch. Unlike a kangaroo, which has a permanent pouch, the echidna’s pouch is temporary.
• When a female lays an egg, there is usually just one. When the baby hatches, it is called a puggle, and it looks much like a larva. It obtains milk from milk patches inside the pouch.
• Once a baby’s spines start to develop, they can no longer stay in the pouch. (For obvious reasons.)
• When threatened, echidnas try to ball up or bury themselves. Dingoes sometimes roll them around so long that the echidnas become tired and dizzy and then expose themselves.
• Echidnas’ body temperature is lower than most mammals, and they may hibernate multiple times a year depending on temperatures.
• During mating season, a group of males will follow a female around in what is called an “echidna train.”
• To keep dust out of their nose, they blow snot bubbles. (Ew.)

Those are just some of the more interesting items – there are even more that are worth exploring if you have the time!

Sources / Resources
Animal Diversity
Animal Facts Encyclopedia
Environmentt.SA.Gov.Au
Fact Animal
Live Science
Wikipedia