Monotremes
Short-Beaked Echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus
About
A spiny, ant-eating monotreme found across Australia and New Guinea. Along with the platypus, echidnas are the only surviving egg-laying mammals. They look like a hedgehog that took an evolutionary detour 200 million years ago.
Their Eggs
A single tiny, leathery, grape-sized egg deposited directly into the mother's pouch. The egg hatches in the pouch, and the tiny puggle (baby echidna) continues developing inside it.
Egg Size Comparison
Fun Fact
The echidna is one of only two mammals that lays eggs, and it does so into a temporary pouch that develops only during breeding season. After hatching, the puggle feeds on milk that seeps through specialized skin patches — echidnas have no nipples.