The western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii ) is one of the four extant echidnas and one of three species of Zaglossus that occur in New Guinea. Originally described as Tachyglossus bruijnii, this is the type species of Zaglossus.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Myrmecophagy is a feeding behavior defined by the consumption of termites or ants, particularly as pertaining to those animal species whose diets a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Western long-beaked echidna is an egg-laying mammal that lives in New Guinea. It is larger than the short-beaked species and its snout is longer and turns downward. The spines are almost indistinguishable from the long fur. It is also distinguished from the other long-beaked echidnas by the number of claws on the fore and hind feet: three (rarely four).
Western long-beaked echidnas are found in the Bird's Head Peninsula and Foja Mountains of West Papua and Papua provinces, Indonesia; they are absent from the southern lowlands and north coast. The preferred habitats of these animals are alpine meadows and humid montane forests.
Western long-beaked echidnas are very secretive and are extremely difficult to locate. They are thought to be solitary creatures. During the day they typically rest in their burrows, and at night come out to forage on the forest floor for earthworms. Western long-beaked echidnas move slowly, with their head lowered to the ground. If a stone or a log comes across on their path they prefer to climb over it, rather than pass it by. When feeling threatened long-beaked echidnas will hide or crouch, bending their beak under their body and expose the needles outward.
Western long-beaked echidnas are carnivores and feed mainly on earthworms.
The breeding season of Western long-beaked echidnas starts in July. The female has a temporary abdominal brood patch, in which its single egg is incubated and in which the newborn young remains in safety, feeding, and developing. The altricial (helpless) young hatches after about 10 days and is fed by the female for up to 6 months.
Western long-beaked echidnas are threatened by human activities including habitat loss and hunting. These animals are also considered a delicacy, and although commercial hunting of the species has been banned by the Indonesian and Papua New Guinean governments, traditional hunting is still permitted.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Western long-beaked echidna total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
