echidna reproductive system
It is 1/2-2/3 inch (1.3-1.7 cm.) 2010). © 2021 San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. 7 months, the young echidna is physically mature enough to go off on its
Fact sheet index, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, Home page, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, Email the librarians at library@sandiegozoo.org, https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/short-beaked-echidna, International Environment Library Consortium, After hibernation, emerging males compete for emerging females (Morrow and Nicol 2009; Nicol 2015a), Intense competition among males in some locations (e.g., Kangaroo Island and Tasmania) (Morrow et al. echidna. 2009), Mating aggregations have a musky smell, likely caused by sulphur compounds found in their gland secretions (Harris et al. 2009), Mating often occurs soon after emergence from hibernation: 1-3 weeks, depending on latitude and elevation (Morrow et al. in length and has a leather hard shell. 2009), Mild climates: female may forage with egg in pouch 45-50 days after hathcing, then dig nursery burrow and leave young there (Rismiller and McKelvey 2009; Nicol 2015a), Cool climates: female stays in nursery burrow for 4-6 weeks, then leaves young in nursery burrow to forage (Morrow et al. 15.1) consists of paired ovaries enclosed in the thin infundibular processes of the oviducts, and long sparsely convoluted oviducts connected to paired uteri which open directly and independently into a central urogenital sinus … The echidna egg has
Ultrasound image showing an egg in the uterus of echidna 5D5E on July 23 2008. Hatching takes place after 10 days of gestation; the young echidna, called a puggle, born larval and fetus-like, then sucks milk from the pores of the two milk patches (monotremes have no nipples) and remains in the pouch for 45 to 55 d… Fertilization probably occurred on July 9, but she had fresh sperm in her reproductive tract and was also torpid. The reproductive tract of the male echidna is unique among mammals. 2004), On Kangaroo Island, a receptive female responds by lying flat on the ground with her spines relaxed, If not receptive, the female will curl up into a spiky ball to keep males away (Augee et al. They have characteristics of mammals, that’s why they can be grouped ... as its reproductive organ to support the reproductive system. 2018), On Kangaroo Island, at about 5 years of age, May vary geographically and/or by population, Rismiller and McKelvey (2003) report that reproductive behavior begins between 5 and 12 years of age, Minimum age in captivity (Wallage et al. 2006; Rismiller and McKelvey 2009), Varies by geography, but includes piles of soil, leaf litter, termite mounds, near tree roots, rocks/caves, sand hills, or open ground (e.g., pasture or dry sclerophyll), Mothers may move their burrow location (e.g., if seeking better burrow temperatures or lose young to predators), Single entrance, back-filled with dirt to prevent access by predators and to stabilize the burrow’s temperature; mothers re-plug entrance when exiting to forage and young are left on their own, No lining/nesting material (e.g., no leaves, sticks), Mothers’ body heat keeps burrow temperature stable and warm—at least 7°C (44°F) above soil temperatures, Females lose body weight as they expend energy to warm the burrow, but do not forage, When females leave to forage (Morrow and Nicol 2012), If younger than 100 days old, young usually become hypothermic when alone in nursery burrow; may enter torpor if their body temperature falls too low while their mothers are away, After 100 days, young have developed thick fur and are better able to maintain their body temperature, Mother echidnas produce milk for their young, like live-bearing mammals (Nicol 2015a), No nipples/teats; young nurse from two milk patches (areolae) located at the center of the pouch (Nicol 2015a), Fat and protein content in the milk increases during the lactation period (Augee et al. 2016), Fatty acid composition of their cell membranes (see Hulbert et al. 2006), In some locations, females dig a nursery burrow (see below) or use an existing burrow dug by another animal, plugging entrance with soil (Nicol 2015a), Dig the burrow 1-2 days before egg-laying (Morrow et al. Yolks are
2018; Andrea Wallage, personal communication, 2017, unreferenced), May reach maturity earlier in captivity than in the wild—at about 3 years of age, Time from attracting males to weaning of young is long: 7-9 months in Australia (Rismiller and McKelvey 2009), Gestation is short: about 21-22 days (Morrow et al. the egg into the pouch, the mother curves her body tightly into a "C" shape,
2009; Rismiller and McKelvey 2009, citing studies by Beard et al. The kidney of the echidna can produce concentrated urine that may be as high as 2300 mOsm/kg. However, their reproductive system differs from the rest since the embryo is born without being fully developed and the process culminates in the marsupial bag. The female lays a single soft-shelled, leathery egg 22 days after mating, and deposits it directly into her pouch. Dogs often raise the alarm about an echidna in the yard. It is
Echidna trains can last anywhere up to 6 weeks before mating eventually happens. 2007), The pair then separates (Augee et al. 1992; Nicol and Andersen 2002), In Queensland and Tasmania, a second mating may occur in October if first young dies, Females usually conceive once in a season but may do so a second time if the first young dies; uncommon (Augee et al. the egg into her abdominal pouch, which only develops when she becomes
... Echidna in the yard. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. 2017), Embryonic growth slowed until environmental conditions are better for milk production and survival of young, Other than bats, echidnas are the only other mammals known to hibernate while pregnant, Egg-laying is infrequently observed (Augee et al. 2006), Gradual, at least in some populations (Morrow and Nicol 2012), Variable among populations; range: 140-210 days (Rismiller and McKelvey 2000; Augee et al. 2006; Nicol 2015a), May be related to demands for keratin in growing hair and spines in young animals, Lactation period: varies geographically and among subspecies (Nicol 2015a), Kangaroo Island and Western Australia: 200-210 days, Substantial differences among subspecies in growth and development of young, and maternal behavior (SC Nicol, personal communication, 2017), Important physical developments (Morrow and Nicol 2012), Young gain ability to regulate body temperature, Rapid growth during first 60 days (Augee et al. Males have four-headed penises and the females have a two-branch reproductive tract. relatively less yolk than the eggs of birds and reptiles. 2009; Morrow and Nicol 2009), Occurs in some locations (e.g.,Tasmania), likely due to extreme competition among males, Females may re-enter a deep torpor after mating, Gestation begins after waking from hibernation, Males and females typically copulate with more than one mate (e.g., Morrow and Nicol 2009), Mating system dynamics are not well understood in more remote regions or areas of low echidna density (Nicol 2015a), Males “guard” females before and after mating (Morrow and Nicol 2009), Where population densities are high, intense competition exists among males, Evidence of competition: (Nicol 2015a; Morrow et al. When a baby echidna is
The echidna is an egg-laying mammal known as a monotreme. Peggy has particular interest in environmental physiology, circadian rhythms, body temperature regulation and reproductive physiology. Get Started The egg is oval and weighs between 1.5 and 2 grams. Which is odd, because the female echidna reproductive tract only has two branches. 2006; Rismiller and McKelvey 2009; Nicol 2015a, and as noted), "When we look at the details of echidna biology, we are not looking at a 'living fossil' that has failed to join modern mammals such as ourselves in the 'fast lane', but [rather, the echidna has] found a niche in the 'slow lane' that is so successful that it has remained there for millions of years. They
The egg remains in the female reproductive tract until it is about the size of a grape. 2009; Nicol 2015a); longer for hibernating females (e.g., in Tasmania; 22-48 days) (Rismiller and McKelvey 2000; Nicol and Morrow 2012), Produce one soft, leathery egg; outer shell layers are not mineralized (Rismiller and McKelvey 2003; Augee et al.