echidna

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References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

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short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijni)

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short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

echidna summary

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echidna: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

News •

Fossil clue suggests echidna ancestors lived in water like platypus • Apr. 28, 2025, 9:17 AM ET (ABC News (Australia))

Facts

Also Known As	spiny anteater • Tachyglossidae

Photos

short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijni)

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Topics

Megalibgwilia long-beaked echidna Sir David’s long-beaked echidna eastern long-beaked echidna short-beaked echidna western long-beaked echidna monotreme platypus oviparity

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