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ECHIDNA, or PORCUPINE

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Originally appearing in Volume V08, Page 871 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ECHIDNA, or See also:PORCUPINE See also:ANT-EATER (Echidna aculeata), one of the few See also:species of See also:Monotremata, the lowest subclass of See also:Mammalia, forming the See also:family Echidnidae. It is a native of See also:Australia, where it chiefly abounds in New See also:South See also:Wales, inhabiting rocky and mountainous districts, where it burrows among the loose See also:sand, or hides itself in crevices of rocks, In See also:size and See also:appearance it bears a considerable resemblance to the See also:hedgehog, its upper See also:surface being covered over with strong spines directed backwards, and on the back inwards, so as to See also:cross each other on the See also:middle See also:line. The spines in the neighbourhood of the tail See also:form a tuft sufficient to hide that almost rudimentary See also:organ. The See also:head is produced into a See also:long tubular snout, covered with skin for the greater See also:part of its length. The opening of the mouth is small, and from it the echidna puts forth its long slender See also:tongue, lubricated with a viscous secretion, by means of which it seizes the ants and other See also:insects on which it feeds. It has no See also:teeth. Its legs are See also:short and strong, and form, with its broad feet and large solid nails, powerful burrowing See also:organs. In See also:common with the other monotremes, the male echidna has its See also:heel provided with a See also:sharp hollow See also:spur, connected with a secreting gland, and with muscles capable of pressing the secretion from the gland into the spur. It is a nocturnal or See also:crepuscular See also:animal, generally sleeping during the See also:day, but showing considerable activity by See also:night. When attacked it seeks to See also:escape either by See also:rolling itself into a See also:ball, its erect spines proving a formidable barrier to its See also:capture, or by burrowing into the sand, which its powerful limbs enable it to do with See also:great celerity. " The only mode of carrying the creature," writes G. See also:Bennett (Gatherings of a Naturalist in See also:Australasia), " is by one of the See also:hind legs; its powerful resistance and the sharpness of the spines will soon oblige the captor, attempting to seize it by any other part of the See also:body, to relinquish his hold." In a younger See also:stage of their development, however, the See also:young are carried in a temporary abdominal pouch, to which they are transferred after hatching, and into which open the mammary glands.

The echidnas are exceedingly restless in confinement, and constantly endeavour by burrowing to effect their escape. From the quantity of sand and mud always found in the alimentary See also:

canal of these animals, it is supposed that these ingredients must be necessary to the proper digestion of their See also:insect See also:food. There are two varieties of this species, the See also:Port Moresby echidna and the hairy echidna. The last-mentioned is found in south-eastern New See also:Guinea, Australia and See also:Tasmania. In all the spines are mixed with See also:hair; in the Tasmanian See also:race they are nearly hidden by the long harsh See also:fur. Of the three-clawed echidnas (Proechidna) confined to New Guinea there are two species, Bruijn's echidna (P. bruijnii), discovered in 1877 in themountains on the See also:north-See also:east See also:coast at an See also:elevation of 3500 ft., and ' the See also:black-spined echidna (P. nigroaculeata) of larger size—the type specimen measuring 31 in., as against 24 in.—with shorter claws.

End of Article: ECHIDNA, or PORCUPINE

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