The Western Short-beaked Echidna, Nyningarn in NoongarTachyglossus aculeatus ssp. acanthionseen above has been spotted locally.
Echidnas are one of Australia's most unique and widely spread native mammals. It has a mixture of reptilian and mammalian characters which classifies it into a special group of mammals called monotremes. Mammals are known to; have fur, breathe using lungs, be warm-blooded, and have the young suckle milk from their mother. Monotremes have all these mammalian characteristics plus one other unique quality that sets them apart. They lay soft shelled eggs from which their young hatch.
These animals represent a very primitive and special mammal whose presence on the Australian continent has been traced back over 150 million years. Within Australia there are four subspecies, in West Australia, we have the variety Tachyglossus aculeatu, acanthion, which are also common in the arid zones of all the mainland states.
They are normally solitary creatures with a large home range of about 50ha but they do not defend an exclusive territory like some mammals with some individual's territory overlapping with others. The number of Echidnas in an area will depend on the quality of the habitat. This is not only defined by food abundance which is related to the quality of the bushland, but also includes access to shelter such as secure burrowing sites; and survival from predators, for example dingoes, foxes and dogs, depends on the quality of shelter available. Therefore seeing an Echidna is a great indication of healthy bushland