Details
Zaglossus bruijnii
Western long-beaked echidna is a mammal associated with forests and mountains. It is carnivorous and usually solitary. Wild populations are extremely limited and require strict protection and recovery work.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by Australasia, where it uses forests and mountains. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 45-77 cm, weight 5 kg-10 kg. It has a small agile rodent-like build, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in forests and mountains, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Zaglossus bruijnii. Wild populations are extremely limited and require strict protection and recovery work. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
