short-beaked echidna

The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of four species of echidnas, which are peculiar egg-laying mammals native to Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Echidnas belong to the order Monotremata, making them the most ancient living order of mammals, sharing this classification with the platypus.123

These animals have a distinctive appearance with a tubular beak, beady eyes, and a body covered in spines. They use electroreceptors in their beaks to sense prey, primarily ants and termites, which they capture with a long, sticky tongue. Echidnas have a low body temperature and are sensitive to extreme heat, often seeking shelter in burrows or caves. They exude milk from mammary openings on their skin for their young.14