About the Echidna Trivia Quiz

Answer: False

Echidnas can be found in Australia and New Guinea. The only mammals that lay eggs are echidnas and the platypus. The echidna was named after a monster in Greek myths. (Wikipedia)

Answer: hedgehogs and porcupines

Echidnas are covered with spines, like hedgehogs and porcupines. They are also covered with rough hair. Like hedgehogs and porcupines, they use their sharp spines for defense. An echidna can curl into a ball so that only its spines are exposed if it feels like it is in danger. (Wikipedia)

Answer: short-beaked echidna

There are only four species of echidna that are still living. The short-beaked echidna's binomial name is Tachyglossus aculeatus. The other species of echidna are the Western long-beaked echidna, the Sir David's long-beaked echidna, and the Eastern long-beaked echidna. (Wikipedia)

Answer: Yes

Echidnas normally only lay one egg at a time. Echidnas lay eggs that have soft shells. A female echidna will usually lay an egg about twenty-two days after it mates. The egg takes about ten days to hatch. (Wikipedia)

Answer: ants and termites

Echidnas find their food by tearing apart anthills and soft logs. Short-beaked echidnas mainly eat ants and termites. The other species of echidna usually prefer to eat insect larvae and worms. (Wikipedia)

Answer: puggles

Puggle is a common word used for an echidna baby, but it's not an official term. Puggle has caught on as the word for a baby echidna so you'll see it frequently. Puggles stay in their mother's pouch for about a month and a half to two months. After the young echidna's spines start to develop, the mother echidna digs a burrow for the puggle to stay in.

The mother returns every five days to let the young echidna suckle until it becomes about seven months old. (Wikipedia)

Answer: Yes

Although female echidnas have pouches, they are not considered marsupials. Echidnas are monotremes. The main difference between them is that monotremes lay eggs, and marsupials give birth to live young. After a mother echidna lays an egg, she immediately puts it into her pouch to protect it. (Wikipedia) An echidna's pouch is more like a flap of skin and isn't present at all times, merely for reproduction. Both male and female echidnas can form a pouch with the muscles on their bellies.

Answer: True

This name does describe the echidna's appearance pretty well because they are covered in spines, and they resemble anteaters. Echidnas have long snouts like anteaters, which they use for both their nose and mouth. Echidnas also have long and sticky tongues that they, like anteaters, use to collect their food. (Wikipedia)

Answer: False

Some animals that are not related to anteaters, like echidnas, can be called anteaters because of their diet. Some other animals that can be called anteaters, that are not related to them, are numbats, antbears, and pangolins. The giant anteater and the silky anteater are two species of anteaters. (Wikipedia)

Answer: All of the choices are correct.

The echidna's strong legs and large claws help them dig very well. They are able to dig large burrows quickly. The burrows help protect echidnas from the heat and from predators. (Wikipedia)

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