Short-beaked Echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Meet the Short-beaked Echidna
Habitat & Range
Short-beaked echidnas are found throughout Australia, including Tasmania, and in parts of New Guinea. They can survive in an extraordinary variety of environments.
In Tasmania, echidnas can be found in forests, woodlands, grasslands, heathlands, coastal areas and alpine environments. Access to food, shelter and suitable places to dig are more important than any single habitat type.
What's on the Menu?
Short-beaked echidnas specialise in eating ants, termites and other small invertebrates.
They use their strong claws to break into nests, logs and soil, then use a long, specialised tongue to collect their food. Echidnas do not have teeth. Instead, food is processed using specialised structures inside the mouth.
Amazing Adaptations
An echidna's body is covered with strong spines made from keratin — the same material found in human hair and fingernails. These spines provide important protection from predators.
Their powerful front feet and claws make them exceptional diggers. When threatened, an echidna can dig rapidly into the ground, leaving little more than a protective covering of spines exposed.
The sensitive snout also helps an echidna investigate its surroundings and locate food.
Did You Know?
Echidnas are one of the world's few egg-laying mammals. Together with the platypus, they belong to an ancient group of mammals called monotremes.
After hatching, a young echidna is known as a puggle.
Behaviour
Echidnas are generally solitary animals and spend much of their time searching for food. Their activity patterns can change with the season and temperature.
During Tasmania's colder months, echidnas can enter periods of torpor, when their body temperature and metabolic rate decrease to conserve energy.
During the breeding season, several males may sometimes follow a female in a line known as an "echidna train".
Conservation & Threats
Short-beaked echidnas remain widespread in Tasmania, but individual animals are still vulnerable to human-related threats.
Road collisions are an important cause of injury and death. Habitat disturbance, inappropriate fencing and attacks from domestic animals can also affect echidnas.
Because echidnas can travel considerable distances while searching for food and mates, maintaining connected areas of native habitat is important.
Echidnas at Trowunna
Echidnas provide a wonderful opportunity to introduce visitors to one of Australia's most unusual groups of mammals — the monotremes.
At Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, echidnas help us teach visitors about Tasmania's native wildlife, specialised adaptations and the importance of protecting healthy habitats.
Their natural seasonal behaviour is also important. During colder periods, echidnas may become less active or enter torpor, and their care and visitor interactions are managed around the needs of each individual animal.
How You Can Help
- Slow down and watch carefully for wildlife when driving.
- Keep dogs under control around native wildlife.
- Never attempt to pick up or relocate a healthy wild echidna.
- Protect native vegetation, fallen logs and natural ground habitat where possible.
- If you find an injured echidna, contact an appropriate wildlife rescue organisation for advice.
Wildlife Welfare Comes First
Please do not touch, feed or attempt to handle Trowunna's echidnas unless specifically invited and supervised by one of our wildlife keepers.
If an echidna is resting, hiding or choosing not to interact, please give the animal space. Natural behaviour and animal welfare always come first.