noun
- plural of echidna; small spiny egg-laying mammals native to Australia and New Guinea
Examples
- Echidnas are one of only two types of mammals that lay eggs.
- The zoo’s echidnas are popular with visitors who enjoy watching them dig for ants.
- Australian echidnas have shorter spines than their New Guinea relatives.
- Scientists study echidnas to understand early mammalian evolution.
- Echidnas use their long snouts to probe for insects in the soil.
- The echidnas at the wildlife sanctuary are part of a breeding program.