A family of the order Monotremes. Order Monotreme or Oviparous. Characteristics and origin. How is the vertebrate brain protected?

At present, oviparous, or monotremes, are the only detachment of the subclass cloacae of the mammal class of the chordate type. The second name of this order is the first animals, since these animals, along with marsupials, are the most primitive of all modern mammals. The name of the order is due to the presence of characteristic features in all animals of this group. Monotremes have a cloaca formed by the fusion of the final sections of the intestine and the genitourinary system. Similarly, representatives of amphibians, reptiles and birds have a cloaca. Also, all the first animals lay eggs, and the females feed the hatched cubs with milk.

Scientists believe that in the process of evolution, oviparous descended from reptiles as a side branch from the line of mammals to the advent of marsupial and placental species. The structure of the skeleton of the limbs, skull, circulatory system, sensory organs of oviparous and reptiles is similar. The fossilized remains of the first animals were found in the layers mesozoic era Jurassic or late Cretaceous. Initially, oviparous appeared in Australia, and later they spread to South America and Antarctica. But so far, monotremes have survived only in Australia and on nearby islands (Tasmania, New Guinea).

The oviparous order is divided into two families (platypuses and echidnas), including six species. Oviparous animals of small size (30-70 cm). The physique is dense, the limbs are plantigrade, adapted for digging or swimming. Just like reptiles, primitive animals do not have a placenta. Mammary glands in oviparous mammals lack nipples. And numerous small ducts open right on the animal's stomach in special paired glandular fields. The cubs simply lick the milk from these areas on the mother's skin. The intestines and urogenital sinus in ovipositors flow into the cloaca. The brain of the first animals is arranged quite simply. The cerebral cortex has no convolutions. First animals are considered warm-blooded animals. But despite the presence of hair, the body temperature of oviparous is relatively low, and can vary significantly (from 25 to 35 degrees) depending on temperature fluctuations. environment.

Echidnas (2 species) and proechidnas (3 species) are terrestrial burrowing animals that live in burrows. They feed on invertebrates, which are mined from the soil, from under the rocks. On the limbs of the echidna there are long claws to dig the ground. The body is covered with hard needles (modified hair). The female usually lays a single egg, which she incubates in a skin pouch on the ventral side until it matures.

Unlike the echidna, the platypus leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. These animals are covered with thick hard hair, which practically does not get wet in the water. The swimming membrane on the limbs promotes rapid swimming. The presence of horny covers on the jaws, which resemble the beak of anseriformes, is characteristic. This is where the name of the class comes from. The platypus feeds on invertebrates by filtering the water with its beak. Platypuses nest in burrows where they lay and incubate one or two eggs. It is believed that echidnas are secondary land mammals separated from the ancient aquatic animals - platypuses.

lesson type - combined

Methods: partially exploratory, problem presentation, reproductive, explanatory-illustrative.

Target: mastering the skills to apply biological knowledge in practical activities, to use information about modern achievements in the field of biology; work with biological devices, tools, reference books; conduct observations of biological objects;

Tasks:

Educational: the formation of a cognitive culture, mastered in the process of educational activities, and aesthetic culture as an ability to have an emotional and valuable attitude towards objects of wildlife.

Developing: development of cognitive motives aimed at obtaining new knowledge about wildlife; cognitive qualities of the individual associated with the assimilation of the basics scientific knowledge, mastering the methods of studying nature, the formation of intellectual skills;

Educational: orientation in the system of moral norms and values: recognition of the high value of life in all its manifestations, the health of one's own and other people; ecological consciousness; education of love for nature;

Personal: understanding of responsibility for the quality of acquired knowledge; understanding the value of an adequate assessment of one's own achievements and capabilities;

cognitive: the ability to analyze and evaluate the impact of environmental factors, risk factors on health, the consequences of human activities in ecosystems, the impact of one's own actions on living organisms and ecosystems; focus on continuous development and self-development; ability to work with various sources information, convert it from one form to another, compare and analyze information, draw conclusions, prepare messages and presentations.

Regulatory: the ability to organize independently the execution of tasks, evaluate the correctness of the work, reflection of their activities.

Communicative: formation communicative competence in communication and cooperation with peers, understanding the characteristics of gender socialization in adolescence, socially useful, educational and research, creative and other activities.

Technologies : Health saving, problematic, developmental education, group activities

Activities (elements of content, control)

Formation of students' activity abilities and abilities to structure and systematize the studied subject content: teamwork- study of the text and illustrative material, compilation of the table "Systematic groups of multicellular organisms" with the advisory assistance of expert students, followed by self-examination; pair or group execution laboratory work with the advisory assistance of a teacher with subsequent mutual verification; independent work on the material studied.

Planned results

subject

understand the meaning biological terms;

describe the features of the structure and the main processes of life of animals of different systematic groups; compare the structural features of protozoa and multicellular animals;

recognize organs and systems of organs of animals of different systematic groups; compare and explain the reasons for similarities and differences;

to establish the relationship between the features of the structure of organs and the functions that they perform;

give examples of animals of different systematic groups;

to distinguish in figures, tables and natural objects the main systematic groups protozoa and multicellular animals;

characterize the direction of evolution of the animal world; give evidence of the evolution of the animal world;

Metasubject UUD

Cognitive:

work with different sources of information, analyze and evaluate information, convert it from one form to another;

write a thesis different kinds plans (simple, complex, etc.), structure educational material, give definitions of concepts;

make observations, set up elementary experiments and explain the results obtained;

compare and classify, independently choosing criteria for the indicated logical operations;

build logical reasoning, including the establishment of cause-and-effect relationships;

create schematic models highlighting the essential characteristics of objects;

identify possible sources of necessary information, search for information, analyze and evaluate its reliability;

Regulatory:

organize and plan your learning activities- determine the purpose of the work, the sequence of actions, set tasks, predict the results of the work;

independently put forward options for solving the tasks set, foresee the final results of the work, choose the means to achieve the goal;

work according to a plan, compare your actions with the goal and, if necessary, correct mistakes yourself;

own the basics of self-control and self-assessment for making decisions and making a conscious choice in educational and cognitive and educational and practical activities;

Communicative:

listen and engage in dialogue, participate in a collective discussion of problems;

integrate and build productive interaction with peers and adults;

adequately use speech means for discussion and argumentation of one's position, to compare different points point of view, argue your point of view, defend your position.

Personal UUD

Formation and development of cognitive interest in the study of biology and the history of the development of knowledge about nature

Receptions: analysis, synthesis, conclusion, transfer of information from one type to another, generalization.

Basic concepts

Diversity of mammals, division into orders; general characteristics of units, the relationship of lifestyle and external structure. The importance of mammals in nature and human life, the protection of mammals.

During the classes

Knowledge update ( concentration of attention when learning new material)

Choose the correct answer in your opinion.

1. What common feature in all vertebrates?

the presence of a spine

habitation air-ground environment

multicellularity

2. How is the brain of vertebrates protected?

sink

shell

skull

3. How many types of vertebrates are there?

4. What is the special respiratory organ in fish?

leather

5. What are the respiratory organs of amphibians?

lungs and skin

6. What vertebrates first appeared on earth?

reptiles

Amphibians

7. How do reptiles reproduce?

give birth to cubs

spawn

lay eggs

8. What distinguishing feature birds?

inhabit the air-ground environment

body covered with feathers

only they lay eggs

9. Which group of vertebrates is the most organized on earth?

mammals

10. How do mammals differ from other vertebrates?

feed babies with milk

breathe with lungs

warm-blooded

Learning new material(teacher's story with elements of conversation)

Monotreme mammals: general characteristics, features and origin .

Amazing organisms that lay eggs and feed their young with milk are monotreme mammals. In our article, we will consider the systematics and features of the life of this class of animals. general characteristics class Mammals.

The class Mammals, or Beasts, includes the most highly organized representatives of the Chordata type. Their hallmark is the presence of mammary glands in females, the secret of which they feed their cubs. TO external features their structures include the location of the limbs under the body, the presence of hair and various derivatives of the skin: nails, claws, horns, hooves

Most mammals are also characterized by the presence of seven cervical vertebrae, a diaphragm, exclusively atmospheric breathing, a four-chambered heart, and the presence of a cortex in the brain.

Subclass of the First Beasts. This subclass of Mammals includes a single order called Monotremes.. They got this name due to the presence of a cloaca. This is one opening into which the ducts of the reproductive, digestive and urinary systems open. All these animals reproduce by laying eggs. How can animals with such features be representatives of the class Mammals? The answer is simple. They have mammary glands that open directly to the surface of the body, since monotremes do not have nipples. Newborns lick it off their skin. The primitive features of the structure, inherited from reptiles, are the absence of the cortex and convolutions in the brain, as well as the teeth, the function of which is performed by the horny plates. In addition, their body temperature fluctuates within certain limits depending on its changes in the environment from +25 to +36 degrees. Such warm-bloodedness can be considered quite relative. The egg-laying of monotremes cannot be called real. It is often referred to as an incomplete live birth. The fact is that the eggs do not immediately leave the genital ducts of the animal, but linger there for a certain time. During this period, the embryo develops already by half. After leaving the cloaca, monotremes incubate eggs or carry them in a special leathery bag.

Mammals are monotremes: fossil species Paleontological finds of monotremes are rather few. They belong to the Miocene, Upper and Middle Pleistocene epochs. The oldest fossil of these animals is 123 million years old. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the fossil remains practically do not differ from modern species. Monotreme mammals, whose representatives are endemic, live only in Australia and on the adjacent islands: New Zealand, Guinea, Tasmania.

Echidnas First Beasts- represented by only a few species. The echidna is a monotreme mammal. Due to the fact that its body is covered with long hard needles, outwardly this animal resembles a hedgehog. In case of danger, the echidna curls up into a ball, thus protecting itself from enemies. The body of the animal is about 80 cm long, its front part is elongated and forms a small proboscis. Echidnas are nocturnal predators. During the day they rest, and at dusk they go hunting. Therefore, their eyesight is poorly developed, which is compensated by an excellent sense of smell. Echidnas have burrowing limbs. With the help of them and a sticky tongue, they extract invertebrates in the soil. Females usually lay a single egg, which they hatch in a skin fold.

prochidni These are also representatives of the class Mammals, detachment Monotremes. From their closest relatives, echidnas, they differ in a more elongated proboscis, as well as the presence of three fingers instead of five. Their needles are shorter, most of them hidden in the wool. But the limbs, on the contrary, are longer. Prochidnas are endemic to the island of New Guinea. The basis of the diet of these monotremes is earthworms and beetles. Like echidnas they catch them sticky long tongue, on which numerous small hooks are located.

Platypus. This animal seems to have borrowed its body parts from other representatives of this kingdom. The platypus is adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Its body is covered with dense thick hair. It is very rigid and practically impermeable. This animal has a duck's beak and a beaver's tail. The fingers have swimming membranes and sharp claws. In males, horny spurs develop on the hind limbs, into which ducts of poisonous glands open. For a person, their secret is not fatal, but it can cause severe swelling, first of a certain area, and then of the entire limb.

No wonder the platypus is sometimes called "God's joke". According to legend, at the end of the creation of the world, the Creator had unused parts from various animals. From them he created the platypus. It is not just an Australian endemic. This is one of the symbols of the continent, the image of which is found even on the coins of this state. This mammal hunts well in the water. But it builds nests and burrows exclusively on land. He swims at a considerable speed, and grabs his prey almost at lightning speed - within 30 seconds. Therefore, aquatic animals have very few chances to hide from a predator. Thanks to valuable fur, the number of platypus has been significantly reduced. On this moment hunting them is prohibited.

V.V. Latyushin, E. A. Lamekhova. Biology. 7th grade. Workbook to the textbook by V.V. Latyushina, V.A. Shapkin "Biology. Animals. 7th grade". - M.: Bustard.

Zakharova N. Yu. Control and verification work in biology: to the textbook by V. V. Latyushin and V. A. Shapkin “Biology. Animals. Grade 7 "/ N. Yu. Zakharova. 2nd ed. - M.: Publishing house "Exam"

Presentation Hosting

One of the subclasses of mammals are oviparous animals. In this article, we will talk in detail about the representatives of this group, indicate their features and habitat.

general characteristics

Monotreme mammals have several names, such as oviparous or cloacal.

The name "cloacal" is associated with the peculiarities of the internal structure of these animals: the intestines and the genitourinary system flow into the cloaca and do not go out in separate channels. This fact confirms that monotreme mammals combine features of reptiles, amphibians and birds. In addition, representatives of the subclass are the only mammals that reproduce by laying eggs. However, due to the feeding of cubs with milk, oviparous are classified as mammals.

The stomach is similar to bird's goiter and plays the role of a food keeper. The process of digestion itself takes place in the intestines. Representatives of the subclass do not have vocal cords and are voiceless.

Echidna and platypus females do not have nipples. Milk is excreted through tubular mammary glands. The cubs lick it from the wool of the mother's belly.

Classification of monotremes

Modern oviparous mammals are divided into two families:

echidnas

Being a relative of the platypus, the echidna swims and dives well, but does not know how to hunt under water. hallmark of these animals is the brood pouch on the belly, where the egg is placed. Echidna lives on the ground and feeds on termites, ants. The body is densely covered with long needles; in case of danger, it curls up into a ball, like a hedgehog.

summary of other presentations

"Grade 7 Reptiles" - Completed by a student of 7 "A" class Kurmasheva Malika. You don't like snakes? Missouri, USA. The sense organs are better adapted to the terrestrial way of life. . Order: turtles. A detachment of aquatic reptiles live in rivers, lakes and swamps. well developed ribs and rib cage. Modern representative- tuatara.

"Mushrooms biology" - Riddle. fruiting body. Proverbs and sayings. Plants. Porcini. Sprinkle the resulting hole with leaves and needles. - serve as food for animals; Mushroom rules. Structure diagram cap mushroom. - Some mushrooms are a medicine for animals and humans. 1. Carefully unscrew the mushroom. Lesson topic: Aspen. Leg.

"The structure of arthropods" - Class Arachnids (subclasses: Haymakers, Scorpions, Ticks, Spiders). Spiders-tarantulas. Orb-weaving spiders. Wolf spider. Presentation for 7th grade. General characteristics of the type. Type systematics. Class Crustaceans (subclasses Lower and Higher or Decapods). Banana spiders. Jumping spiders. Type Arthropods. More than 1.5 million species; 2/3 of all kinds of living beings. Sidewalk spiders. Spider haymaker. Crab spider.

"Mammals Grade 7" - Order Insectivores. Detachment Single pass. Eared hedgehog. Colony of water bats. At bats during hibernation, the temperature drops to +1 - +5 degrees. Yes, I really p…….k! Mole ordinary. You recognized me? Night bats are ancient, morphologically primitive group animals. Primates. In winter they hibernate.

"Lesson Reproduction of organisms" - Moon-fish. Amoeba division. Termite mound. Fish breeding. cartilaginous fish: stingray, shark. Teacher: Bobyleva N.P. Find out what is the biological role various ways reproduction and fertilization in nature. Lesson goals. Learn to Compare different types reproduction and fertilization. Malaria parasite in blood cells. Cleavage of vertebrate eggs. Reproduction of the liver fluke. Summary of the lesson.

This is a secretive nocturnal semi-aquatic animal that inhabits the banks of small rivers and stagnant reservoirs of Eastern Australia in a vast range from the cold plateaus of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to the tropical rainforests of coastal Queensland. In the north, its range reaches the Cape York Peninsula (Cooktown).

The body length of the platypus is 30-40 cm, the tail is 10-15 cm, it weighs up to 2 kg. Males are about a third larger than females. The body of the platypus is squat, short-legged; the tail is flattened, similar to the tail of a beaver, but covered with hair, which thins noticeably with age. In the tail of the platypus, reserves of fat are deposited. Its fur is thick, soft, usually dark brown on the back and reddish or gray on the belly. The head is round. Anteriorly, the facial section is elongated into a flat beak about 65 mm long and 50 mm wide. The beak is not hard like in birds, but soft, covered with elastic bare skin, which is stretched over two thin, long, arched bones. The oral cavity is expanded into cheek pouches, in which food is stored during feeding. At the bottom at the base of the beak, males have a specific gland that produces a secretion with a musky smell. Young platypuses have 8 teeth, but they are fragile and quickly wear out, giving way to keratinized plates.

The paws of the platypus are five-fingered, adapted for both swimming and digging. The swimming membrane on the front paws protrudes in front of the toes, but can be bent in such a way that the claws are exposed outward, turning the swimming limb into a digging one. The webs on the hind legs are much less developed; for swimming, the platypus does not use its hind legs, like other semi-aquatic animals, but its front legs. The hind legs act as a rudder in the water, and the tail serves as a stabilizer. The gait of the platypus on land is more reminiscent of the gait of a reptile - he puts his legs on the sides of the body.

Its nasal openings open on the upper side of the beak. There are no auricles. The eyes and ear openings are located in the grooves on the sides of the head. When the animal dives, the edges of these grooves, like the valves of the nostrils, close, so that neither sight, nor hearing, nor smell can function under water. However, the skin of the beak is rich in nerve endings, and this provides the platypus not only with a highly developed sense of touch, but also with the ability to electrolocate. Electroreceptors in the bill can detect weak electric fields, such as those produced by crustacean musculature, which help the platypus find prey. While looking for it, the platypus continuously moves its head from side to side during spearfishing.

Young platypuses of both sexes have rudiments of horn spurs on their hind legs. In females, by the age of one year, they fall off, while in males they continue to grow, reaching 1.2-1.5 cm in length by the time of puberty. Each spur is connected by a duct to the femoral gland, which during the mating season produces a complex "cocktail" of poisons. Males use spurs during courtship fights. Platypus venom can kill a dingo or other small animal. For a person, it is generally not fatal, but it causes very severe pain, and edema develops at the injection site, which gradually spreads to the entire limb.

The platypus lives along the banks of water bodies. It shelters in a short straight burrow (up to 10 m long), with two entrances and an internal chamber. One entrance is underwater, the other is located 1.2-3.6 m above the water level, under the roots of trees or in thickets.

The platypus is an excellent swimmer and diver, remaining underwater for up to 5 minutes. In water, he spends up to 10 hours a day, since he needs to eat an amount of food per day that is up to a quarter of his own weight. The platypus is active at night and at dusk. It feeds on small aquatic animals, stirring up silt at the bottom of the reservoir with its beak and catching rising living creatures. They observed how the platypus, feeding, turns over stones with its claws or with the help of its beak. He eats crustaceans, worms, insect larvae; rarely tadpoles, mollusks and aquatic vegetation. Having collected food in the cheek pouches, the platypus rises to the surface and, lying on the water, grinds it with its horny jaws.

Every year, platypuses fall into a 5-10-day hibernation, after which they have a breeding season. It continues from August to November. Mating takes place in the water. The male bites the female by the tail, and for some time the animals swim in a circle, after which mating takes place (in addition, 4 more variants of the courtship ritual were recorded). The male covers several females; platypuses do not form permanent pairs.

After mating, the female digs a brood burrow. Unlike the usual burrow, it is longer and ends with a nesting chamber. Inside, a nest is built from stems and leaves; The female wears the material, pressing her tail to her stomach. She then plugs the corridor with one or more earth plugs 15-20 cm thick to protect the burrow from predators and floods. The female makes plugs with the help of her tail, which she uses like a mason's trowel. The nest inside is always damp, which prevents the eggs from drying out. The male does not take part in the construction of the burrow and the rearing of the young.

2 weeks after mating, the female lays 1-3 (usually 2) eggs. Platypus eggs are similar to reptile eggs - they are round, small (11 mm in diameter) and covered with an off-white leathery shell. After laying, the eggs stick together with a sticky substance that covers them from the outside. Incubation lasts up to 10 days; during incubation, the female rarely leaves the burrow and usually lies curled up around the eggs.

Platypus cubs are born naked and blind, about 2.5 cm long. When they hatch from an egg, they pierce the shell with an egg tooth, which falls off immediately after leaving the egg. The female, lying on her back, moves them to her belly. She doesn't have a pouch. The mother feeds the cubs with milk, which comes out through the enlarged pores on her stomach. Milk flows down the mother's coat, accumulating in special grooves, and the cubs lick it off. The mother leaves the offspring only for short time to feed and dry the hide; leaving, she clogs the entrance with soil. The eyes of the cubs open at 11 weeks. Milk feeding lasts up to 4 months; at 17 weeks, the cubs begin to leave the hole to hunt. Young platypuses reach sexual maturity at the age of 1 year. The lifespan of platypuses in nature is unknown; in captivity, they live an average of 10 years.

Prochidna Bruyna
Western Long-beaked Echidna
(Zaglossus bruijni)

The habitat of the prochidna is the highlands of the northwestern part of New Guinea and the Salavati and Waigeo Islands (Indonesia). Habitat its habitats are humid mountain forests, although sometimes it is found on alpine meadows at altitudes up to 4000 m above sea level.

Body length up to 77 cm and weighing 5-10 kg. The most well-fed individuals weigh more than 16 kg. The tail is rudimentary, 5-7 cm long. The limbs are higher than those of echidnas, with well-developed muscles and powerful claws. Males have horny spurs on the inner surface of the hind legs, similar to those of the platypus, but not poisonous. The hind limbs of the prochidna are five-fingered, the forelimbs are three-fingered. The beak (rostrum) of the prochidna occupies 2/3 of the length of the head and is strongly curved down; at its end are nostrils and a small mouth. On the head are visible small auricles. The prochidna's tongue is very long (up to 30 cm) and covered with sharp spines that compensate for the absence of teeth. The body of the prochidna is covered with coarse dark brown or black hair; short spines grow on the back and sides, almost hidden by fur. The color of the needles varies from almost white to black, 3-5 cm long.

The diet of the prochidna almost entirely consists of earthworms, which she is looking for, rummaging with her beak in the ground. Having caught a large worm, the prochidna steps on it with its front paw, grabs the tip of the worm into its mouth and, actively helping itself with its tongue, draws it inside. In this case, the worm pricks itself on the sharp spikes of the tongue. Less commonly, worms eat termites, insect larvae, and possibly ants.

The beak is needed by the prochidna not only to search for food. It turned out that this is also an additional tenacious limb, which allows the animal to overcome obstacles or turn stones over like a lever. She moves rather slowly, with her head down to the ground. If a stone or a log comes across on the way, she prefers to climb over it, rather than go around; lake or puddle - swim across. If frightened, the snail hides or crouches, bending its beak under itself and sticking its needles out.

Proechidnas are heterothermal animals; their temperature, depending on the ambient temperature, can vary from 36 to 25 °C. At the same time, the prochidnas continue to remain active and only at the most adverse conditions fall into hibernation.

The breeding season for proechidnas begins in July. After mating, the female lays one egg, which she places in her pouch. After about ten days, a cub hatches from the egg, which the female feeds with milk for up to 6 months.

The most long duration life recorded in an individual living in the London Zoo is 30 years and 8 months.

Barton's prochidna
Eastern Long-beaked Echidna
(Zaglossus bartoni)

Distributed in the mountains of central and eastern New Guinea. Dwells in tropical forests at an altitude of about 4100 m above sea level.

Body weight is 5-10 kg, body length is from 60 to 100 cm. Unlike other representatives of the genus, it has 5 claws on the forelimbs.

The Attenborough prochidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi) also belongs to the genus (Zaglossus). This species is only known from a single specimen that was found during the Dutch colonial period in 1961. Since then, no other copies have been found.

Australian echidna
Short-beaked Echidna
(Tachyglossus aculeatus)

It lives in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and the islands in the Bass Strait.

The Australian echidna is smaller than the prochidna: its usual length is 30-45 cm, weight is from 2.5 to 5 kg. The Tasmanian subspecies is somewhat larger - up to 53 cm. The head of the echidna is covered with coarse hair; the neck is short, almost invisible from the outside. The auricles are not visible. The muzzle of the echidna is elongated into a narrow "beak" 75 mm long, straight or slightly curved. It is an adaptation to searching for prey in narrow crevices and holes, from where the echidna gets it with its long sticky tongue. The mouth opening at the end of the beak is toothless and very small; it does not open wider than 5 mm. Like the platypus, the "beak" of the echidna is richly innervated. Its skin contains both mechanoreceptors and special electroreceptor cells; with their help, the echidna picks up weak vibrations electric field arising from the movement of small animals. Not a single mammal, apart from echidnas and platypuses, has had such an electrolocation organ.

This is a terrestrial animal, although if necessary it is able to swim and cross fairly large bodies of water. Echidna is found in any landscape that provides it with enough food - from moist forests to dry bush and even deserts. It is also found in mountainous areas, where snow lies part of the year, and on agricultural lands, and even in the metropolitan suburbs. Echidna is active mainly during the day, however hot weather makes her switch to a nocturnal lifestyle. Echidna is poorly adapted to the heat, because it does not have sweat glands, and the body temperature is very low - 30-32 ° C. When hot or cold weather she becomes lethargic; with a strong cold snap, it hibernates for up to 4 months. Stocks of subcutaneous fat allow her, if necessary, to starve for a month or more.

It feeds on ants, termites, less often other insects, small mollusks and worms. She digs up anthills and termite mounds, digs through the forest floor with her nose, strips the bark from fallen rotten trees, shifts and overturns stones. Having found insects, the echidna throws out its long sticky tongue, to which the prey sticks. The echidna has no teeth, but the root of the tongue has keratin teeth that rub against the pectinate palate and thus grind food. In addition, the echidna, like birds, swallows earth, sand and small stones, which complete the grinding of food in the stomach.

Echidna leads a solitary lifestyle (except for the mating season). This is not a territorial animal - echidnas encountered simply ignore each other; it does not suit permanent burrows and nests. For rest, the echidna settles in any convenient place - under the roots, stones, in hollows fallen trees. The echidna runs badly. Its main defense is thorns; a disturbed echidna rolls up into a ball, like a hedgehog, and if it has time, it partially burrows into the ground, exposing its back to the enemy with raised needles.

Echidnas live so secretly that their features marital behavior and breedings were published only in 2003, after 12 years of field observations. It turned out that during the courtship period, which lasts from May to September (in different parts range, the time of its onset varies), these animals are kept in groups consisting of a female and several males. Both females and males at this time emit a strong musky smell, allowing them to find each other. The group feeds and rests together; when crossing, echidnas follow in single file, forming a "train" or caravan. Ahead is a female, followed by males, which can be 7-10. Courtship lasts up to 4 weeks. When the female is ready to mate, she lies down, and the males begin to circle around her, throwing clods of earth aside. After some time, a real trench 18-25 cm deep forms around the female. The males violently push each other, pushing them out of the trench until one victorious male remains inside the ring. If there was only one male, the trench is straight. Mating (on the side) lasts about an hour.

Pregnancy lasts 21-28 days. The female builds a brood burrow, a warm, dry chamber often dug under an empty anthill, termite mound, or even under a pile of garden debris next to human habitation. Usually in the clutch there is one leathery egg with a diameter of 13-17 mm and weighing only 1.5 g. For a long time it remained a mystery how the echidna moves the egg from the cloaca to the brood pouch - its mouth is too small for this, and its paws are clumsy. Presumably, postponing it, the echidna deftly curls up into a ball; while the skin on the abdomen forms a fold that releases a sticky fluid. As it freezes, it glues the egg that has rolled onto its stomach and at the same time shapes the bag.

After 10 days, a tiny cub hatches - it is 15 mm long and weighs only 0.4-0.5 g. When hatching, the puggle breaks the egg shell with a horny bump on the nose, an analogue of the egg tooth of birds and reptiles. The eyes of a newborn echidna are hidden under the skin, and the hind legs are practically not developed. But the front paws already have well-defined fingers. With their help, the newborn moves from the back of the bag to the front in about 4 hours, where there is a special area of \u200b\u200bthe skin called the milky field, or areola. In this area, 100-150 pores of the mammary glands open; each pore is provided with a modified hair. When the baby squeezes these hairs with his mouth, milk enters his stomach. The high iron content gives echidna milk its pink color.

Young echidnas grow very quickly, in just two months increasing their weight by 800-1000 times, that is, up to 400 g. The cub remains in the mother's pouch for 50-55 days - until the age when it develops spines. After that, the mother leaves him in a shelter and until the age of 5-6 months comes to feed every 5-10 days. In total, milk feeding lasts 200 days. Between 180 and 240 days of life, the young echidna leaves the hole and begins to lead an independent life. Puberty occurs at 2-3 years of age. Echidna breeds only once every two years or less; according to some reports - once every 3-7 years. But the low rate of reproduction is offset by her long lifespan. In nature, the echidna lives up to 16 years; the recorded longevity record at the zoo is 45 years.