Monotremes
There are three main groups of living mammals;
the placentals (eg humans, dogs, cats, cows, rats)
marsupials with their pouches (eg: kangaroos, possums, koalas), and,
monotremes (echidna and platypus), a special type of mammal that lays eggs.
Monotremes (the echidna and platypus) only exist in Australia and Papua New Guinea and are often considered as ‘living fossils’ as they pre-date marsupials. Despite not being recorded in the Manly Dam Biodiverstity Project ecology surveys, echidnas have been sighted by our citizen scientists both in the the Manly Dam catchment and adjoining suburbs.
Oral histories from elderly people who grew up around Manly Dam remember when there used to be platypus living in the creeks running into the dam.
Short-beaked echidna
Species: Tachyglossus aculeatus Family: Tachyglossidae
Conservation status: Protected
These shy, slow moving, waddling animals can grow up to 40cm long and weight around 2-5kg. Adult echidnas eat ants, termites and can feast on other invertebrates such as earthworms, beetles and larvae. Residents living near Manly Dam have reported having echidnas visit their yards to dine on creatures in their compost bins and dig up ant nests. Baby echidnas are born with no spines and are called puggles and develop in their mother’s pouch. During mating season you may be lucky enough to see a ‘train’ of male echidnas in a neat line following a female.
The primary threat to echidnas is habitat loss, especially the loss of fallen logs and tree stumps, and protective understorey vegetation. As they move so slowly they‘re also vulnerable to being hit by vehicles.
Image and video credit: Emily Fewster