In Australia, two extremely rare species of albino echidna have been spotted in just a couple of weeks. What do we know about these laying mammals? We are evaluating.
What is hedgehog?
The platypus is often mentioned in the world of egg-laying mammals, but it is not the only one. Another example is the hedgehog, which cools itself by blowing bubbles of mucus.
Physically, these animals have a cylindrical body and short but powerful limbs. Their nostrils are elongated and pointed, while their tongue is specially designed for collecting ants, termites, and other small invertebrates from the ground. Note also that echidnas are animals covered with hair, but they also have feathers similar to those of hedgehogs.
In these mammals, females lay one or two eggs. They are then incubated in the pocket on the abdomen. After hatching, young ant louse remain indoors until they are mature enough to fend for themselves.
Finally, there are several types. short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) are common throughout temperate Australia and lowland New Guinea. Long-billed urchins (three species belong to the genus Zaglossus) live only in the highlands of New Guinea. You will find them mainly in wooded areas, forests and semi-arid areas.
Two very rare sightings
The fur color of these animals varies depending on the species to which they belong. However, it is generally transmitted from Dark brown to light brown, with color variations ranging from reddish-brown to blackish-brown. The color of this fur can also be affected by factors such as the age of the individual and environmental conditions. However, these animals can also be affected by albinism. Moreover, two sightings were recently made in Australia, which is quite rare.
The first was made on a road in the Bathurst area, according to it hv news. It is said that a man helped the ants (now nicknamed Raffie) cross safely before reporting the sighting to local council officials. Eleven days later, the Australian Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) published Photos and video of a second short-beaked echidna (aka Mr. Spike) in New South Wales. It looked like he had been hit by a car. However, he didn’t have it He was only slightly injured.
As a reminder, albinism is a genetic condition characterized by a Partial or complete absence of pigmentation in the skin, hair and eyes due to defect or Absence of melanin production. This mutation can be inherited from the parents or occur sporadically.
In relation to these two specimens, Bathurst Regional Council asked members of the public not to approach them, for fear of interfering with their normal behaviour.
