{"id":38963,"date":"2022-04-12T09:16:41","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T09:16:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/"},"modified":"2022-04-12T09:16:41","modified_gmt":"2022-04-12T09:16:41","slug":"are-echidnas-poisonous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/","title":{"rendered":"Are echidnas poisonous?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_poisonous\" title=\"Are echidnas poisonous?\">Are echidnas poisonous?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Why_did_echidnas_go_extinct\" title=\"Why did echidnas go extinct?\">Why did echidnas go extinct?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_blind\" title=\"Are echidnas blind?\">Are echidnas blind?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#How_many_echidnas_are_left_in_the_world\" title=\"How many echidnas are left in the world\">How many echidnas are left in the world<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidna_good_pets\" title=\"Are echidna good pets?\">Are echidna good pets?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_extinct\" title=\"Are echidnas extinct?\">Are echidnas extinct?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Can_you_touch_an_echidna\" title=\"Can you touch an echidna?\">Can you touch an echidna?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Do_echidnas_carry_diseases\" title=\"Do echidnas carry diseases?\">Do echidnas carry diseases?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_friendly\" title=\"Are echidnas friendly?\">Are echidnas friendly?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#What_is_the_only_venomous_mammal\" title=\"What is the only venomous mammal?\">What is the only venomous mammal?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_the_echidna_still_alive\" title=\"Are the echidna still alive?\">Are the echidna still alive?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#How_are_echidnas_endangered\" title=\"How are echidnas endangered?\">How are echidnas endangered?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Why_are_echidnas_hunted\" title=\"Why are echidnas hunted?\">Why are echidnas hunted?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Do_echidnas_have_4\" title=\"Do echidnas have 4?\">Do echidnas have 4?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#What_are_the_threats_to_echidnas\" title=\"What are the threats to echidnas?\">What are the threats to echidnas?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Do_echidnas_have_good_eyesight\" title=\"Do echidnas have good eyesight?\">Do echidnas have good eyesight?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Why_do_echidnas_have_4_heads\" title=\"Why do echidnas have 4 heads?\">Why do echidnas have 4 heads?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_deaf\" title=\"Are echidnas deaf?\">Are echidnas deaf?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Can_echidnas_shoot_their_quills\" title=\"Can echidnas shoot their quills?\">Can echidnas shoot their quills?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_intelligent\" title=\"Are echidnas intelligent?\">Are echidnas intelligent?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#What_is_special_about_echidnas\" title=\"What is special about echidnas?\">What is special about echidnas?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Do_echidnas_have_brains\" title=\"Do echidnas have brains?\">Do echidnas have brains?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Can_you_touch_echidnas\" title=\"Can you touch echidnas?\">Can you touch echidnas?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#Are_echidnas_endangered\" title=\"Are echidnas endangered\">Are echidnas endangered<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/are-echidnas-poisonous\/#How_many_echidnas_are_alive\" title=\"How many echidnas are alive?\">How many echidnas are alive?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_poisonous\"><\/span>Are echidnas poisonous?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A waxy secretion is produced around the base on the echidna spur, and we have shown that it is <b>not venomous but is used for communicating during breeding, said Professor Kathy Belov, lead author of the study published in PLOS One today.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_did_echidnas_go_extinct\"><\/span>Why did echidnas go extinct?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Due to <b>overhunting and habitat loss, long-beaked echidnas have experienced declines of at least 80% since the 1960s. All are Critically Endangered (IUCN).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_blind\"><\/span>Are echidnas blind?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Eyesight is not a crucial factor in the animals ability to survive, as <b>blind echidnas are able to live healthily. Its ears are sensitive to low-frequency sound, which may be ideal for detecting sounds emitted by termites and ants underground.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_echidnas_are_left_in_the_world\"><\/span>How many echidnas are left in the world<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although there are estimated to be <b>as many as 10,000 mature individuals, the population is decreasing, and this species is extinct in some parts of its former range. In New Guinea, chief threats to echidnas are hunting and farming. As human populations grow, so does our need for food.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidna_good_pets\"><\/span>Are echidna good pets?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Echidnas life span can range from <b>15-40 years yet usually averages around 10 years in the wild.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_extinct\"><\/span>Are echidnas extinct?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Echidnas are found <b>throughout New Guinea and mainland Australia, as well as Tasmania, King Island, Flinders Island and Kangaroo Island. They are Australias most widespread native mammal, being found in almost all habitats, from snow covered mountains to deserts.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_touch_an_echidna\"><\/span>Can you touch an echidna?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Do not try to handle or dig out an echidna. You may cause unnecessary stress to the animal which could result in injuries to the animal and maybe to you too! Do not pressure the animal to leave as it will just feel threatened and bury itself into the ground.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_echidnas_carry_diseases\"><\/span>Do echidnas carry diseases?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Intestinal trichostrongyloidosis (four of 55; 7%), purulent bronchopneumonia (three of 55; 5%) and septicemia (three of 55; 5%) were the major disease syndromes seen in free-living echidnas. Other conditions seen were a non-specific enteritis, toxoplasmosis and bacterial granulomata.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_friendly\"><\/span>Are echidnas friendly?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Echidnas are very solitary animals, but <b>they are not territorial and are willing to share their home range with others of their kind.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_only_venomous_mammal\"><\/span>What is the only venomous mammal?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Slow lorises are one of the worlds only venomous mammals. Even rarer, they use their venom on one another.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_the_echidna_still_alive\"><\/span>Are the echidna still alive?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Although there are estimated to be <b>as many as 10,000 mature individuals, the population is decreasing, and this species is extinct in some parts of its former range. In New Guinea, chief threats to echidnas are hunting and farming. As human populations grow, so does our need for food.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_are_echidnas_endangered\"><\/span>How are echidnas endangered?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While <b>short-beaked echidnas and duckbill platypuses still live in Australia, the long-beaked echidna, the largest monotreme in the world, was thought to live only in rainforests of New Guinea.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_echidnas_hunted\"><\/span>Why are echidnas hunted?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>But the animal is no stranger to New Guineas indigenous people, who inhabit almost every part of Earths second largest island, living off the resources of their traditional lands. Hunting and fishing <b>provide the dietary protein for the vast majority of New Guineans, and echidnas have long been part of that meal plan.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_echidnas_have_4\"><\/span>Do echidnas have 4?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The penis of an echidna has four heads but only two become erect at any one time. Now, Australian researchers have uncovered why. Scientists discovered the mammal has unusual reproductive anatomy that causes male echidnas to ejaculate from only two of their four penile heads at one time.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_threats_to_echidnas\"><\/span>What are the threats to echidnas?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The main threats to an Echidna are <b>feral dogs and foxes. They are also vulnerable to habitat loss from land clearing and development.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_echidnas_have_good_eyesight\"><\/span>Do echidnas have good eyesight?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Echidnas have <b>poor eyesight, and loud noise and bustle makes them bury themselves nervously. If youre quiet, calm and patient youll see something marvellous.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_echidnas_have_4_heads\"><\/span>Why do echidnas have 4 heads?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Most mammals have a single urethral tube which carries the semen to the penis tip. The echidna urethra starts as a single tube, but toward the end of the penis it splits into two and each of these then splits again  resulting in each of the four branches ending up at one of the four glans.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_deaf\"><\/span>Are echidnas deaf?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An echidna has large, vertical slits just behind its eyes for ears. They also have <b>extremely good hearing<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_echidnas_shoot_their_quills\"><\/span>Can echidnas shoot their quills?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An echidna erects its spines for protection (like the picture above), to anchor itself against a log, to help it climb, and to help upright itself after it has fallen or placed on its back. <b>It cannot, however, throw or eject its spines as the legend said.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_intelligent\"><\/span>Are echidnas intelligent?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Echidnas are quite smart, though, having the biggest frontal cortex in relation to their body size of all mammals, including humans. They can climb, burrow and run rapidly. They are mostly solitary animals, but the rare times they are seen collectively is when they form an echidna train.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_special_about_echidnas\"><\/span>What is special about echidnas?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The echidna has <b>spines like a porcupine, a beak like a bird, a pouch like a kangaroo, and lays eggs like a reptile. Also known as spiny anteaters, theyre small, solitary mammals native to Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_echidnas_have_brains\"><\/span>Do echidnas have brains?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The echidna has a large, highly fissured, gyrencephalic brain, while the platypus has a smooth, lissencephalic brain. In the platypus, much of the entire neocortex is composed of the primary somatosensory area (S1), the rostral somatosensory field (R), the parietal ventral area (PV), and motor cortex (M).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_touch_echidnas\"><\/span>Can you touch echidnas?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Do not try to handle or dig out an echidna. You may cause unnecessary stress to the animal which could result in injuries to the animal and maybe to you too! Do not pressure the animal to leave as it will just feel threatened and bury itself into the ground.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_echidnas_endangered\"><\/span>Are echidnas endangered<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>All are Critically Endangered (IUCN).<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_echidnas_are_alive\"><\/span>How many echidnas are alive?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Today, there are only <b>four extant species of echidna, and they include western long-beaked echidna, Sir Davids long-beaked echidna, eastern long-beaked echidna, and short-beaked echidna.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents Are echidnas poisonous?Why did echidnas go extinct?Are echidnas blind?How many echidnas are left in the worldAre echidna good pets?Are echidnas extinct?Can you touch an echidna?Do echidnas carry diseases?Are echidnas friendly?What is the only venomous mammal?Are the echidna still alive?How are echidnas endangered?Why are echidnas hunted?Do echidnas have 4?What are the threats to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38963"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38963\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}