Echidna🦔 the weirdest mammal
Channel: Zoological Zoom
Date: 2024-02-09

This is not a hedgehog. Meet the echidna, a creature that has a penis with four heads and will make you question what you knew about mammals.

Echidnas are monotremes, meaning they are mammals that lay eggs, just like their cousin, the platypus.

Similar to hedgehogs, echidnas are covered in spines to protect them from predators. These spines are actually modified hairs made of keratin, similar to our own fingernails!

Studies say that echidnas only use two of the four heads at any one time when erect. And they don’t use their penis for urination, only for mating.

While hedgehogs eat worms and bugs, the diet of echidnas mainly consists of ants and bugs. Their long, sticky tongues and powerful claws help them dig into ant nests and slurp up their prey.