Long-beaked echidna

The long-beaked echidnas make up one of the two genera (Genus Zaglossus) of echidna. Echidna is a spiny monotreme that lives in New Guinea. There are three living species, and two extinct ones.

Echidnas are one of only two types of living mammals that lay eggs.

Species
Zaglossus attenboroughi

Habitat: regions of New Guinea at higher elevation than highland forests
Era: the present
Status: Endangered

Remarks: Species described from one sample only. May be endangered, or locally extinct. See Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna

Zaglossus bartoni

Habitat:on the central cordillera between the Paniai Lakes and the Nanneau Range, as well as the Huon Peninsula
Era: the present
Status: Endangered

Remarks: see Eastern Long-beaked Echidna

Zaglossus bruijni

Habitat: highland forests of New Guinea
Era: the present
Status: Endangered

Remarks: see Western Long-beaked Echidna

Zaglossus hacketti

Habitat: Western Australia
Era: Upper Pleistocene

Remarks: This species is known only from a few bones. At a metre long, it was huge for an echidna and for monotremes in general.

Zaglossus robustus

Habitat: Tasmania
Era: Pleistocene

Remarks: This species is known from a fossil skull about 65 cm long.

References

Flannery, T.F. and Groves, C.P. 1998 A revision of the genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with description of new species and subspecies. Mammalia, 62(3): 367-396

 Other websites 
 EDGE of Existence (Zaglossus spp.)  - Saving the World's most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species

 A pretty good summary, including references on animalinfo.org

Category:Monotremes
Category:Mammals of Oceania