Zaglossus attenboroughi

Geographic Range

Zaglossus attenboroughi is endemic to Papua, New Guinea. Sir David's long-beaked echidnas may once have been distributed along the North Coast Ranges, but they are now restricted to the tops of the Cyclops Mountains near Jayapura.

• Biogeographic Regions
• australian australian
  • native native

• Other Geographic Terms
• island endemic island endemic

Habitat

Sir David's long-beaked echidnas live in forested mountainous areas of the Cyclops Mountains, an area of approximately 50 square kilometers.

• Habitat Regions
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• rainforest rainforest
• mountains mountains

Physical Description

Sir David's long-beaked echidnas are the smallest echidna species, weighing 2 to 3 kilograms. The rostrum is approximately 70 mm long and is somewhat straighter than other echidna species. The short rostrum and their size makes them appear similar to short-beaked echidnas ( Tachyglossus aculeatus ). They have 5 claws on each foot and adult males have a small non-venomous spur on the inside of each ankle. Adult females lack these spurs. The fur is distinctive, short, fine, and dense, unlike other echidnas, and raw umber brown in color. There is short fur that covers the few spines on the middle back of this species. The spines are almost white and are most dense nearest the tail. Adults have no teeth, but the tongue is covered in teeth-like spikes. Like other Zaglossus species, they have no external genitalia; making sex determination difficult.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• heterothermic heterothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• sexes alike

Reproduction

Not much is known about the reproductive or mating behaviors of Zaglossus attenboroughi because only one specimen has been found to date. It is unknown when these animals breed or whether they are promiscuous.

It is thought that the reproductive behavior might be similar to that of other Zaglossus species. The number of offspring during a breeding cycle is unknown, as is the gestation period and the age at which sexual maturity is reached. Most likely, as with other Zaglossus species, when females reach sexual maturity the non-venomous spurs on their ankles usually disappear.

• Key Reproductive Features
• semelparous semelparous
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• oviparous oviparous

It is thought that Sir David's long-beaked echidnas females care for and protect their young after laying the eggs and after their hatching. Young stay in dens. Not much else is known about parental involvement in the species.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• female parental care female parental care
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

The lifespan of Zaglossus attenboroughi is unknown.

Behavior

The behavior of Sir David's long-beaked echidnas is not known, other than that they inhabit the Cyclops Mountains and feed on worms and larvae.

• Key Behaviors
• terricolous
• motile motile
• sedentary sedentary
• solitary solitary

Home Range

The home range of this species is unknown.

Communication and Perception

Sir David's long-beaked echidnas most likely relies on their sense of smell to find worms and larvae to eat. They use their beak to find food. Like other echidnas, they are likely to use electroreception to find food. They have electroreceptors on the tips of their snouts, which they can press to the ground or other objects to detect living organisms and to perceive the environment.

Forms of social communication are unknown in this species.

• Communication Channels
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

It is mostly unknown what Sir David's long-beaked echidnas feed on in the wild, but it is thought that they feed on worms. Researchers have identified holes in the ground made by their rostra as they poke for food.

• Primary Diet
• carnivore carnivore
  • insectivore insectivore
  • eats non-insect arthropods
  • vermivore

• Animal Foods
• insects
• terrestrial non-insect arthropods
• terrestrial worms

Predation

It is unknown if Zaglossus attenboroughi has any natural predators.

Ecosystem Roles

Ecological roles of this species are completely unknown, as they have never been seen alive in the wild.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Sir David's long-beaked echidnas have cultural importance in the communities surrounding the Cyclops Mountains. Sometimes disputes are resolved by having the two fighting parties share a meal of echidna. At other times, people are punished by either having to pay a fine or by having to find an echidna in the mountains.

• Positive Impacts
• food food

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Because the adult males of Zaglossus attenboroughi have a spur on each ankle, they can cause some harm to humans by sticking them with the spurs. However, the spurs are not venomous.

• Negative Impacts
• injures humans
  • bites or stings

Conservation Status

The species was thought to be extinct until 2007, when an expedition led by EDGE team members discovered evidence that Zaglossus attenboroughi still existed. Currently, Sir David’s long-beaked echidnas are critically endangered and there is a conservation effort underway where the original specimen was found. The Cyclops Mountains Strict Nature Reserve was created to protect the habitat of Zaglossus attenboroughi . Currently, it is believed that hunting and loss of habitat due to farming and mining are the main reasons for the threat to their survival.

Other Comments

There has only ever been one specimen of Zaglossus attenboroughi collected in 1961. Since then, there have been sightings of this species by members of the communities surrounding the Cyclops Mountains; these community members call the species payangko .

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Stephanie Galarza (author), Yale University, Eric Sargis (editor), Yale University, Rachel Racicot (editor), Yale University, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

References

Baillie, J., S. Turvey, C. Waterman. 2009. Survival of Attenborough's Long-beaked Echidna Zaglossus attenboroughi in New Guinea. Cambridge Journals , 43/1: 146-148.

Flannery, T., C. Groves. 1998. Revision of the Genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with Description of New Species and Subspecies. Mammalia , 62/3: 367-396.

Leary, T., L. Seri, T. Flannery, D. Wright, S. Hamilton, K. Helgen, R. Singadan, J. Menzies, A. Allison, R. James, K. Aplin, L. Salas, C. Dickman. 2011. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" (On-line). Zaglossus attenboroughi . Accessed January 27, 2012 at www.iucnredlist.org .

Phillips, M., T. Bennett, M. Lee. 2009. Molecules, Morphology, and Ecology Indicate a Recent, Amphibious Ancestry for Echidnas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 106/40: 17089-17094.

The Zoological Society of London. 2009. "EDGE: Mammal Species Information" (On-line). EDGE of Existence: Evolutionarily Distinct & Globally Endangered. Accessed January 27, 2012 at http://www.edgeofexistence.org/ .

Map of Life. 2010. "Electroreception in fish, amphibians, and monotremes" (On-line). Map of Life - Convergent Evolution Online. Accessed April 30, 2012 at http://www.mapoflife.org/topics/topic_41_Electroreception-in-fish-amphibians-and-monotremes/ .