échidnés

Échidnés are small, spiny mammals belonging to the order Monotremata, a group that also includes the platypus. There are two main genera of echidnas: Tachyglossus, which includes the short-beaked echidna, and Zaglossus, which comprises the long-beaked echidnas. These animals are native to Australia and New Guinea.

Echidnas are easily recognizable by their distinctive covering of sharp spines, which are modified hairs made of keratin. These spines serve as a formidable defense against predators. Beneath the spines, they have a thick, fur-like coat. Their most striking feature is their long, tubular snout, which they use for foraging. This snout contains their mouth at the end and is equipped with a long, sticky tongue used to capture insects.

These creatures are primarily insectivores, feeding on ants, termites, and other invertebrates found in the soil or in decaying wood. They possess powerful claws on their feet, which they use for digging and tearing apart their food sources. Echidnas are solitary animals and are generally active at dawn and dusk, though they can be seen at any time of day.

A unique characteristic of echidnas, like other monotremes, is that they lay eggs. After hatching, the young, known as puggles, are carried in a pouch on the mother's abdomen until their spines develop, at which point they are left in a burrow. Echidnas are oviparous and have a low reproductive rate. They are an important part of their respective ecosystems, helping to control insect populations.