Snakes Frogs Click for larger image Echidnas General features Where they live Protecting themselves Eating habits Breeding General features Together with the platypus, echidnas are the world's only monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. There are two species of echidnas, one confined to the highlands of New Guinea, and one confined to Australia and New Guinea. The smaller species is found throughout Australia, although the animals vary in colour depending on their location. In the northern, hotter regions, echidnas are light brown, but they become darker with thicker hair further south. In Tasmania, they are black.
All echidnas have sharp spines covering the back of their short, stocky bodies.
The echidna's snout is between seven and eight centimetres long, and is stiffened to enable the animal to break up logs and termite mounds when searching for food. An echidna's mouth is on the underside of its snout, at the end. Adult echidnas vary in size, from 35 to 53 centimetres. Males weigh about 6 kilograms, while females weigh about 4.5 kilograms. The short, stout limbs of an echidna are well-suited for scratching and digging in the soil.