Which egg-laying mammals are native to Australia?

The egg-laying mammals native to Australia are known as monotremes, an ancient order of mammals that reproduce by laying eggs rather than giving birth to live young.123

There are two primary groups of monotremes found in Australia:

• Platypus: A semiaquatic, carnivorous mammal characterized by its duck-like bill. It is native to the waterways of Australia and Tasmania.12
• Echidnas: Also known as spiny anteaters, these are terrestrial, insect-eating mammals covered in spines. While there are several species of echidnas, the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is the species found throughout Australia.14

While long-beaked echidna species also exist, they are found only on the island of New Guinea.4