Tachyglossus aculeatus

Information about the Short-Beaked Echidna:

The Short-Beaked Echidna is one of four extant species of echidna living in various environments in Australia - in fact it is the most widespread native animal on the continent. It is the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. It is remarkable for a few reasons. The most notable is the fact that as a monotremes, it has the unusual characteristic of being one of the few egg-laying mammals in the world. Short-beaked echidnas are usually about 12-18 inches long (30 to 45 cm) with a 3 inch snout (75 mm), and weighing between 4.4-11 pounds (2 and 5 kg.) It is sometimes called a "Spiny Anteater" although it is not closely related to other anteaters in the world. When the echnida feels threatened, it will roll itself into a ball, making use of the large spines for defense. It has a sticky tongue that it uses to catch ants and termites with, which makes up most of it's diet. The poster is printed on matte, museum-quality paper with Giclée printing quality: • Paper thickness: 10.3 mil • Paper weight: 5.6 oz/y² (192 g/m²) • Opacity: 94% Buy a Digital Download