I often come across solitary echidnas searching for a meal of termites or ants as I walk through the eucalyptus forests of Tasmania. These little mammals are often called the 'spiny anteater’ because of this preference for ants, but they also eat earthworms, beetles, and moth larvae.

They are small animals ( 35- 53cm long, weighing 4-6 Kg) and their short, stout limbs are well-suited for scratching and digging in the soil. The front feet have five flattened claws which are used to dig forest litter, burrow, and tear open logs and termite mounds.

Echidnas are Monotremes – which are different from other mammals because they lay eggs and have no teats (the milk is provided for their young by being secreted by many pores on the female's belly).