Scientists have discovered a long-beaked echidna in Indonesia. The mammal, named after famous biologist David Attenborough, had long been thought to have disappeared from the country. The last time the animal was seen was sixty years ago.
The long-lost animal has the spines of a hedgehog, the snout of an anteater, and the legs of a mole. Echidna mainly eats ants and termites.
The echidna was photographed by one of eighty cameras installed during an expedition by scientists from the University of Oxford. The animal was found among the bushes. This is exceptional, because the nocturnal animal is shy and often sits in burrows.
The Greek name for echidna is echidna. This is a Greek mythological creature that is half woman and half snake. This species is a member of the monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs.
The echidna has only been spotted once before in Indonesia, by a Dutchman in 1961. The animal also lives in Australia and New Guinea.
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