Echidnas have a long cylindrical snout used for scavenging forest litter. A good sense of smell is used to find ants, termites, worms and other insects. Long-nose echidnas compose most of their diet of earthworms. Short-nose echidnas forge mostly on ants and termites. A long tongue is used to capture prey.
Excellent hearing is used to locate potential predators.
A special characteristic echidnas have is a thick fur with spines on the back and sides of their body that protects them against attacks. The spines are individual modified hairs anchored into a thick layer of muscle in the skin. When attacked the animal bunches up into a ball and digs into the ground, or finds a crevice to protect it s vulnerable under side. Monotremes are the only mammals to lay eggs, but their overall pattern of reproduction is mammalian. Young break through the soft eggshell with an egg tooth.