Western long-beaked echidna

Western Long -beaked Echidna ( Zaglossus bruijni )

The Western Long -beaked Echidna ( Zaglossus bruijni ) is the type species of the genus Zaglossus, and one of the three species that occur on the island of New Guinea. Perhaps it is also common in the north of Western Australia Kimberleyregion. Also fossil is this type known from Australia.

Features

The Western Long -beaked echidna lives in New Guinea at altitudes 1300-4000 m, in the southern lowlands and on the north coast of New Guinea, this type does not occur. The preferred habitats of these species are alpine meadows and humid mountain forests. In contrast to the short -beaked echidna eats this kind earthworms. The Western Long -beaked Echidna can weigh up to 16.5 kg. The snout is longer than the one -footed hedgehog and is bent down, the thorns are indistinguishable from the long fur. It can be distinguished from the other species by the number of claws on the front and rear paws; he has three (rarely four) claws on each paw.

Threat

The number of Western Long -beaked echidna has been greatly reduced due to habitat destruction and hunting by humans. The Western Long -beaked Echidna is a delicacy and although hunting was banned in this way by the governments of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, the traditional hunting is still allowed.

The Western Long -beaked Echidna is listed by the IUCN as endangered ( endangered ).

In December 2005, an expedition led by Conservation International, collect multiple copies of this population of mammals in the Fojabergen Papua province in Indonesia.