Migration. There are five digits on both hind and forefeet, but on the former, only the three middle toes are equipped with claws. One species of long-beaked echidna, native to New Guinea, is named after Sir David Attenborough. Behavioural Adaptations: Echidna’s use their forepaws to dig into ants nests to find food and use their fast tongues to trap them. Long-beaked echidnas live at a wide range of elevations, generally in forested areas and only where human populations are low. The long snout proves essential for the echidna's survival because of its ability to get in between hard-to-reach places and scavenge for smaller insect organisms such as larvae and ticks. short-beaked echidna, found in New Guinea and throughout Australia. From hot sandy deserts to cold snowy mountain tops. One Species of Echidna is named after Sir David Attenborough. Echidnas range in colour from light brown in the northern, hotter parts of Australia to black in Tasmania.
Eastern long-beaked echidnas are mainly insect eaters, or insectivores. Short beaked echidnas live all over Australia. The long-beaked echidna is larger than the short-beaked and has fewer, shorter spines scattered among its coarse hairs. They also live in parts of Papa New Guinea. It is relatively easy to discern the difference between the two genera of echidna: short-beaked echidnas are smaller and have longer hair than their long-beaked counterparts. Echidnas are easily recognised by their coverage of spines. This is a vital part of the short-beaked Echidna as it enables the Echidna to gather food easier than without this adaptation. Males have a spur on each of the hind legs. Their young are pushed out of their pouch whilst still young so their growing spikes do not penetrate the mother. Physiological Adaptations: They lay only one egg which hatches after 10 days and wean them with produced milk for two-three months. Animal Adaptations: Animal Adaptations; Glossary . Echidnas have a dome shaped body about 30-45 centimetres long and weigh 2-7 kilograms. Camouflage. Although not as conspicuous, hair is present between the spines of the short-beaked echidna. Hair is thicker in the colder, southern regions of Australia. The snout is two-thirds of the head length and curves slightly downward. References ; Survey; Short Beaked Echidna. Once in the ant nest the Echidna sticks its tongue in and out and due it the tongue being long and sticky it gives them a higher chance of catching their prey. Hibernation .