Echidnas are Australian anteaters.
Like the platypus, the echidna is a monotreme, a mammal which lays eggs and feeds its young with milk.

Males are bigger than females.
Size is from 35 to 53 cm and they weigh from 4 to 6 kg.

Echidnas have sharp spines and thick brown fur. They have a short stumpy tail. They eat ants and termites. They have a stiff snout which they use to hunt for food. The echidna's mouth is on the underside of the snout and is useful for sucking up food. They have no teeth.

They use their strong claws to dig and break open termite mounds. When in danger echidnas quickly dig down into soft ground leaving only the tips of the spines visible.

Two weeks after mating the female lays an egg into the pouch on her belly.
It hatches after 10 days and the puggle (baby echidna) remains in the pouch for 3 months.
When the spines grow, the baby is left in a den while the mother hunts for food.

Match the words with the definitions.
monotreme	___. Animal home.
pouch	___. Sharp point
hatch	___. A mammal which lays eggs and feeds its young with milk.
spine	___. Animal's nose
den	___. Baby echidna
puggle	___. To come out of an egg
snout	___. Pocket of skin for animal babies.

Find answers to these questions:

1. Where do echidnas live? ..................................................................

2. What colour are echidnas? ...............................................................

3. What do echidnas eat? .....................................................................

4. What do puggles eat? ......................................................................

5. Where is the mouth? .........................................................................

6. How much do the largest echidnas weigh? .......................................

True or False? or

1. 
   Female echidnas are smaller than males.

2. 
   They have long tails.

3. 
   They have strong claws for digging.

4. 
   They have sharp teeth.

5. The puggle stays in the pouch for 6 months.

Puggle

Spines growing

Termite mound

Termites

Echidna

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