The+Echinda-+Tommy+Kim

Steropodon- Steropodon Galmani
 * Ancient Animal**

**Modern Animal** The echidna- Tachyglossus Aculeatus.

Sloth Echidna- Tachyglossus Semper = __**The Echidnas**__ =
 * Future Animal**

**Habitat**
The echidnas are located in Mostly in Eastern Australia, especially near the coasts, also found in Tasmania and New Guinea. They live in an environment where the temperature is varied. In the summer, the temperature is around 23 degrees Celsius at noon, and 8 degrees Celsius at night. In winter, the temperature around 16.5 degrees in morning, and 9 degrees at night. With rainfall of 2 inches per year, the echidna lives in a very arid environment. The echidnas however, do not have a specific place they stay in, they are nomadic, so they do not have a set place they go back to, except when the mother goes back to the burrow where her young are.There are no native predators around, but there are environmental threats to the echidna, such as cars going past by, animals attacking the echidna

**Adaptations**
**The Spines- Structural** One of the most recognizable adaptations of the echidna is its evidently coarse body hair and sharp spines. This adaptation is crucial in the survival of this animal as it protects it from anything that may be a threat to the echidna.Though the echidna doesn’t have a native predator, it has threatening animals, such as feral cats, pigs, dogs, dingoes, goannas snakes and foxes. Any possible predator of the echidna will be hurt by the echidna’s long sharp claws, for example, when a dog tries to bite a echidna, the spine will cut, and sometime even penetrate through the inside of the dog’s mouth causing lethal damage if done properly. Most predators do not even try to attack the echidna, as they realize the threat of this and stop their attempt and move on to preying on something else. The spines that protrude from the echidnas back may seem similar to the porcupine’s but it is very much different. The porcupine’s spines can come off quite easily, but the echidna’s spines are much harder, and thicker, allowing it to even penetrate car tires, and are integrated into a special layer under the muscle that allows it to move the spines, for uses such as not hurting the partner in mating rituals (moving it down so it doesn’t stick up) and protecting themselves (moving it up so it sticks up). These spines have been crucial to the survival of the echidna since it has allowed the echidna to protect itself from even the most vicious enemies. This can be proven by the fact that the echidna not having any native predator.

**Sharp claws on their feet- Structural** The echidna has sharp claws that are on their feet, both front and back, that are used to dig up their main prey, ants and termites. The termites and ants have burrows underground and mounds on the ground. Because of this it is hard for the echidna to reach its prey, and so they have their sharp claws on their feet to dig them up before using their long, sticky tongues to eat them. The echidnas live in an environment where there are barren land with dirt around, so this feature is quite useful in the fact that it can be used just about anywhere the echidna may go. They would dig away from the body, so the dirt would not get in their pouch, until the ants and termites show up, then they would let their tongue out so the ants and termites will stick onto them so that they can eat it. This has helped the echidna to survive because it gives a much higher chance finding their prey, and effectively consuming them.

**Four Headed Penis- Structural** The male echidnas have a four headed penis, with two contracting back just before ejaculation. This increases the chance of impregnating the female, a higher chance of passing on their genes. However, there are no environmental factors that may have caused the echidna to evolve like this, as this trait would be useful in any organism, in any environment. Being able to reproduce at a better rate is obviously an important trait to be able to survive for so long. Scientists believe that the reason why the Echidnas have survived for so long is because of them having such a high pregnancy rate.

**Caring for their children- Behavioral** The echidna, as a monotreme, lays eggs and also cares for their young as well. When a young echidna hatches out of the egg, without spines sticking out of their back, the mother would take the echidna into their pouch, and take them around for around 45-55 until the young echidna will start to grow its own spines. The mother would then let the young echidna into the nursery burrow she has prepared, where the young echidna will spend the next 6 months of its life in. The mother will go out in search of food, coming back about every 5 days where she will let her young suckle on her milk pouches. This has helped the echidna in survival since letting its young will give more chance to the young echidna’s development and survival, thus allowing it to grow and reproduce. Another factor why this has helped the survival of the echidna is because most organisms that lay eggs, such as turtles, they would leave the egg lying around, and letting the children survive on its own. What this does is that they will become very prone to the predators. In this case especially, the young echidna will not have developed any spines yet, so it will more likely to be eaten by predators. All mammals do this, for example, the baboon.

**Reacting to danger- Behavioral** In times of danger, the echidna will have different types of whenever it feels danger. The first, and the most common type of action, would be running away. The echidna, though not fast, will run away on its short stubby legs if there is a precaution of any danger in the surrounding. Another reaction the echidna would have is to dig a burrow on the ground, then lying in it with its spines up, so that the soft skin will not be showing. This is a very successful way to react to danger as no animals will be able to attack the echidna without being injured. Thirdly, if a echidna is caught by surprise, it will quickly curl itself into a ball, so that most of its soft skin will not be showing, and its spines sticking out. This is very similar to digging a burrow, but it is not as effective, but a quick process. These survival skills have been in echidnas for millions of years, these were “secrets to success” in every echidna. This is proven by the long lifespan of echidnas, 45 years on average.