Tachyglossus aculeatus, Shaw, 1792

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Tachyglossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 34-56 : 56

4 .

Short-beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus

French: Echidné a nez court / German: Ameisenigel / Spanish: Equidna de hocico corto

Other common names: Australian Echidna, Short-nosed Echidna, Spiny Anteater; Bristly Echidna (setosus), Kangaroo Island Echidna (multiaculeatus)

Taxonomy. Myrmecophaga aculeata Shaw, 1792 ,

Sydney region, Australia .

Although Shaw’s original description simply states “it is a native of New Holland,” the accompanying illustration is a copy ofa drawing now in the Thomas Watling Drawings Collection at the Natural History Museum in London, along with the text “This animal was found on a large red ant-hill; it seems to live on them, therefore we call it the ant-eating porcupine of N.S. Wales.” Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

T. a. aculeatus Shaw, 1792 — E Australia (E New South Wales, Victoria, and S Queensland).

T. a. acanthion Collett, 1884 — arid regions of most of Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia).

T. a. lawesii Ramsay, 1877 — S & SE New Guinea and N Australia (NE Queensland).

T. a. multiaculeatus Rothschild, 1905 — Kangaroo I (South Australia).

T. a. setosus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803 — Tasmania and Bass Strait Is.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 30-45 cm; weight 2-6 kg. Beak of the Short-beaked Echidna is c.6 cm. The five subspecies of the Short-beaked Echidna are distinguishable by degree of hairiness of pelage and by length of grooming claws on second and third digits of hindleg. There are differences in metabolic rate and thermoregulation associated with differences in pelage, but there are also significant differences in maternal care and length oflactation (e.g. 147 days in the “Tasmanian Echidna,” 1. a. setosus; 210 days in the “Kangaroo Island Echidna,” 1. a. multiaculeatus, and in the subspecies acanthion). There are no published studies on genetic differences between the populations. The Kangaroo Island Echidna is the most distinctive of the mainland subspecies; it has very long fine pelage obscured by a large number of long, thin spines and its third claw is short. The Tasmanian Echidna has soft thick fur that may completely hide spines;it is often light brown, and a population on Flinders Island is completely blond. Blond Echidnas are also seen on Kangaroo Island. Claws on second and third toes of the Tasmanian Echidna are long and nearly equal in size, and the hindfoot resembles a coarse comb. The subspecies lawesii has long stout spines and thick fur. The form acanthion has sparse coarse fur and long spines. In some echidnas from northern New South Wales (probably acanthion), the second claw is nearly three times the length of the third claw.

Habitat. All Australian terrestrial habitats and a variety of habitats in New Guinea, including open woodlands and forests.

Food and Feeding. Dietary data from across Australia suggests that in areas where sufficient termites are available they form the majority of the diet of the Short-beaked Echidna, with ants making up a smaller proportion. Where termites are absent or in low availability, ants are the most common dietary item, but these are supplemented with pasture grubs.

Breeding. Short-beaked Echidnas are seasonal breeders, and breeding times vary with latitude: breeding begins later in more northerly populations. Mating occurs between early June and September in Tasmania, between early June and early August on Kangaroo Island, between late June and early August at Mount Kosciuszko, and between mid-July and early September in south-eastern Queensland.

Activity patterns. Short-beaked Echidnas are commonly seen in daytime, particularly in colder areas, but the majority oftheir activity is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Outside of the mating period, male and female Short-beaked Echidnas are solitary, and males do not assist with rearing young. During the mating season, roving males range widely in search of females. Home ranges of females are 0-15 km® to 0-7 km? depending on habitat quality. Home ranges of males are on average twice as large (0-3-1-5 km?®), with size dependent on availability of females.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Shortbeaked Echidnas are protected throughout Australia. They are threatened by overhunting in New Guinea, and the Kangaroo Island Echidna, although still common and widespread on the island, is showing some decline in numbers.

Bibliography. Augee et al. (2006), Griffiths (1978, 1989), Morrow & Nicol (2009), Morrow et al. (2009), Nicol (2013), Nicol & Morrow (2012), Nicol et al. (2011), Sprent & Nicol (2012).

Figures

On following pages: 4. Short-beaked Echidna (7achyglossus aculeatus).

Subspecies and Distribution. T. a. aculeatus Shaw, 1792 — E Australia (E New South Wales, Victoria, and S Queensland). T. a. acanthion Collett, 1884 — arid regions of most of Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia). T. a. lawesii Ramsay, 1877 — S & SE New Guinea and N Australia (NE Queensland). T. a. multiaculeatus Rothschild, 1905 — Kangaroo I (South Australia). T. a. setosus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803 — Tasmania and Bass Strait Is.