EchidnaWatch

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Have you seen an echidna lately? Wildlife Queensland’s EchidnaWatch program is gathering information on the distribution and abundance of echidnas, and we need your help.

Our aims

The only species of echidna in Queensland, and Australia — the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of our most beloved and unique animals. With a distribution that extends from Tasmania to the Top End, this ambling adventurer can be found anywhere from the outback to the backyard. Echidnas are considered common, but hard facts about their distribution are scarce.

We know that echidnas don’t cope well with traffic and often become roadkill. But we need to know the real extent of the damage cars do to echidna numbers. We also need information on how echidnas are coping with modern hazards and introduced pests.

EchidnaWatch aims to collate information on the distribution of echidnas in Queensland. We can share this information with Wildnet, the wildlife data repository for the EPA, and other organisations, to help plan for better outcomes for echidnas.

Footage: GKVP/PEXELS

Get involved

report a sighting

Spotted an echidna in the wild? Help protect these monotremes by reporting your sighting to EchidnaWatch.

Share your story

Do you have a story or an image to share? Follow us on Facebook and tag  @wildlifequeensland so we can share.

Shop to help

The proceeds from our shop go towards projects and research that benefits echidnas and threatened species.

Volunteer

Join our network of volunteers and citizen scientists who help protect and conserve echidnas and other mammals.

Sightings Data

Wildlife Queensland partner, BioGeo, mapped echidna sightings reported to EchidnaWatch (2013–2018) and added data from GBIF. The mapped data highlights roads in Queensland with frequent echidna observations or incidents. We have shared this information with stakeholders to raise awareness and explore signage options.

EchidnaWatch educational resources

Fact sheets & guides

Videos, webinars & picture books

EchidnaWatch videos

EchidnaWatch webinars & picture books

 

Further reading

Articles & papers

  • Augee, M, Gooden, B, and Musser, M (2006) Echidna Extraordinary egg-laying mammal, CSIRO Publishing

 

Short-beaked Echidna

Published in January 2024, the Short-beaked Echidna Information Booklet provides fascinating facts about the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), ways to identify them, main threats to echidnas, and how you can help protect these amazing monotremes by reporting your sightings to EchidnaWatch.

View the booklet as a flipbook or download it as a PDF. You can also email us to request a printed copy.

To view the flipbook: 

  • Press the > button to start or click on the pages.
  • Use the RIGHT and LEFT arrows to move forward or back.
  • Click on the DOWNLOAD button (cloud and arrow) to download a PDF version.

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