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Native fauna

Short-beaked Echidna

Tachyglossus aculeatus
Confirmed on site ยท Sep 2026Illustration

A spiny, egg-laying monotreme, turning the soil as it feeds on ants and termites.

Illustration of Short-beaked Echidna, not a photograph
Illustration, not a photograph. A real photo will replace it once we have one.

How to identify it

  • Unmistakable: about 30 to 45 cm, covered in spines, with a long snout and a waddling gait.
  • Leaves broad, shallow diggings where it has been feeding.

Where it lives

Across the land, wherever there are ants and termites.

When to look

Active in the milder parts of the day.

Status at Skye

Confirmed on Mount Skye, September 2026.

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