Echidnas
RESCUE ADVICE
If you hit an echidna or encounter a live echidna on the road, it must be taken to a veterinary clinic and x-rayed. It is impossible to examine these animals properly without X-ray as you cannot feel broken bones as in other animals. If you can’t get the animal to the vet, call our hotline and one of our volunteers will help you transport it.
Please also check the surrounding area for young as very young echidnas can easily be dislodged on impact from the flap-like pouch of the mother.
If you do have to transport an echidna:
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Never use a wire cage – this will damage their beak irreversibly. Storage containers with clip-lock lids are ideal as long as you allow ventilation
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Never leave an echidna loose in your car or house! They are incredible escape artists will try the entire container for a point of leverage and use their claws to break open the container
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Echidnas cannot tolerate temperatures above 25C, place them in a shaded cool spot in the car for transportation.
Please don't use a shovel or any sharp object to 'prise' an echidna when it is dug in. When they feel safe they will move on of their own accord.
Interesting Echidna facts
Short-beaked echidna
The short-beaked echidna is the smaller of the species, and individuals vary in colour depending on their location. In the northern, hotter regions, echidnas are light brown, but they become darker with thicker hair further south. In Tasmania, they are black. All echidnas have sharp spines covering the back of their short, stocky bodies.
Powerful proboscis
The short-beaked echidna's snout is between 7 and 8 cm long and is stiffened to enable the animal to break up logs and termite mounds when searching for food. An echidna's mouth is on the underside of its snout, at the end. This allows the animal to feed easily, especially when suckling. Adult echidnas vary in size, from 35 to 53cm. Males weigh about 6 kilograms, while females weigh about 4.5 kilograms.
Are you coming or going?
The short, stout limbs of an echidna are well-suited for scratching and digging in the soil. The front feet have 5 flattened claws, which are used to dig forest litter, burrow, and tear open logs and termite mounds. The hind feet point backwards and help to push soil away when the animal is burrowing. Two of the claws on each back foot are used for grooming. An echidna's tail is short, stubby and hairless underneath.
SUCCESSFUL RESCUE
Our team recently came to the aid of this precious echidna puggle. Unfortunately, her burrow was accidentally disturbed during earthworks in Singleton. Luckily, the puggle was seen and brought safely into the care of Hunter Wildlife Rescue.
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Georgie is a burrow baby. Her mother had left her in the burrow and would have been returning to feed her intermittently. This is why it's so important that we don't relocate adult echindas - they may lose the scent trail that leads them back to feed their baby - who would then starve.
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Thank you to the keen eyed people who called her in! She is doing well in care.