Echidna

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/echidna

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Tachyglossidae
2. What is the key evolutionary trait?Reproduction via egg-laying (oviparity), a defining characteristic of monotremes
3. What does an echidna look like?An echidna has a spiky body that looks like a walking pinecone, a long nose, and a coat of hard spines mixed with fur.
4. How does an echidna lay eggs?A female echidna lays a single leathery egg into a small pouch on her belly. The egg stays there for about 7 to 10 days before the baby hatches.

Monotreme: A subclass of mammals characterized by reproductive organs that include an egg-laying mechanism, such as echidnas and platypuses.
Electroreception: The biological ability to perceive electrical fields, used by echidnas to locate prey underground.
Puggle: The term for a juvenile echidna or platypus, emphasizing its early developmental stage and dependence on maternal care.