Western Long-beaked Echidna By: Allison Mayfield

 Western Long-beaked Echidna

Western Long-beaked Echidna is one of only five remaining monotreme species, an ancient clade of mammals that includes two other long-beaked echidna species, along with the short-beaked echidna and duck-billed platypus. Like all mammals, monotremes have fur and produce milk to nourish their young, but uniquely, these mammals lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young.

The Western Long-Beaked Echidna is found in New Guinea. They live in alpine meadows and humid montane forests at altitudes between 1,300 and 4,000 m (4,265 - 13,123 ft). They are believed to lead a solitary lifestyle. 

The western long-beaked echidna is the largest monotreme. They have a body length between 60 and 100 cm (23.5 - 39 inches), they do not have a tail and they weigh between 5 and 10 Kgs (11 - 22 lbs). They have a long, downward turning snout that is approximately 20 cms (8 inches) in length. At the base of their snout they have tiny eyes and at the tip of their snout, a tiny mouth. Their tongue has backward pointing barbs that they use effectively to capture their prey. 

Occurring only in the far west of the island of New Guinea, the poorly-known western long-beaked echidna may be on the verge of extinction. It is threatened by human hunting, which uses trained hunting dogs to track down the echidna’s daytime burrow. It is also threatened by habitat loss which is being driven by mining, agriculture and logging.

Resources:

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/western-long-beaked-echidna/#overview https://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/egg_laying_mammals/western_long_beaked_echidna.html