Echidna | 台北市立動物園資訊網

Echidnassometimesknownasspinyanteaters,belongtothefamilyTachyglossidae...Thisisknownasthetrainsystem....EchidnaLoveTrains.

Family of mammals

Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters,[1] are quill-covered[2]monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae , living in Australia and New Guinea. The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the only surviving members of the order Monotremata.[3] The diet of some species consists of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the American true anteaters or to hedgehogs. Their young are called puggles.

Echidnas evolved between 20 and 50 million years ago, descending from a platypus-like monotreme.[4] This ancestor was aquatic, but echidnas adapted to life on land.[4]

Etymology

Echidnas are possibly named after Echidna, a creature from Greek mythology who was half-woman, half-snake, as the animal was perceived to have qualities of both mammals and reptiles.[citation needed] An alternative explanation is a confusion with Ancient Greek: ἐχῖ...