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How do you pick up an echidna?
NEVER use a shovel to dig an echidna out – only ever use your hands to prevent accidental injury to the animal. To remove the echidna, place a hand just behind the forelimbs on the underbelly. Echidnas can also be picked up when rolled into a ball with thick leather gloves to protect your hands.
What to do if you hit an echidna?
If you find an injured echidna please gently place it inside a container with a solid base, a lid and some air holes, and transport it to your local wildlife-friendly vet clinic. Do not try to pry out an echidna that has dug into the dirt as you may accidentally injure it further.
What happens if an echidna spikes you?
These spines are an echidna’s main line of defence when predators strike. When under threat, they will roll up into a ball of radiating spines to protect themselves or dig themselves to safety.
Where does an echidna sleep?
burrows
Echidnas hibernate during the cold winter months in burrows. No matter what the time of the year, they can only enter REM sleep when they are around 77 F (25 C).
What should you do if you find an echidna?
When disturbed the Echidna will roll up into a ball or dig down in the ground to protect its self. Never try to dig it out using a shovel. If you remove the Echidna you may unknowingly have just made an orphan of its baby. If you can, leave it alone and keep your pets in overnight it will be
What kind of hair does an echidna have?
Here are some fun facts: 1. Their spines are actually hairs Believe it or not, the spines you see on an echidna are actually long, tough, hollow hair follicles. These spines are an echidna’s main line of defence when predators strike.
Why do echidna alternate their heads when mating?
When mating, two of the heads ‘shut down’ while the other two grow larger to fit inside the female echidna’s two-branched reproductive tract. Echidnas alternate which heads they use when mating with different partners to improve their chances of becoming a dad!
How long does it take for an echidna to lay an egg?
Along with the platypus, the echidna is the only other living egg-laying mammal species. Almost a month after mating, the female deposits a single, soft-shelled, leathery egg into her pouch. The gestation period is quite quick – after only ten days the baby echidna hatches. Baby echidnas are called ‘puggles’.