They sense electric fields, tolerate snow and have ‘mating trains’: 4 reasons echidnas really are remarkable

They sense electric fields, tolerate snow and have ‘mating trains’: 4 reasons echidnas really are remarkable

Many of us love seeing an echidna. Their shuffling walk, inquisitive gaze and protective spines are unmistakable, coupled with the coarse hair and stubby beak. They look like a quirky blend of hedgehog and anteater. But they’re not related to these creatures at all. They’re even more mysterious and unusual than commonly assumed. Australia has […]

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Scientists: bizarre mammal could still roam Australia

Scientists: bizarre mammal could still roam Australia

The continent of Australia is home to a wide variety of wonderfully weird mammals—kangaroos, wombats, and koalas among others. But the re-discovery of a specimen over a hundred years old raises new hopes that Australia could harbor another wonderful mammal. Examining museum specimens collected in western Australia in 1901, contemporary mammalogist Kristofer Helgen discovered a […]

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