Remnant population of long-beaked echidna may still live in Australia

It was earlier considered that echidnas have gone extinct in Australia for thousands of years. But hopes have arisen that the 10kg weighing long-beaked echidna that grows to a metre long could be present in a remote area of Western Australia.

Dr. Kristofer Helgen discovered a specimen in the collection of the Natural History Museum in London. After carrying out some investigation, Dr. Helgen realized that the specimen has been taken from the wild in Australia in 1901.

In addition, a 90-year-old Aboriginal woman in 2001 told one of the team members of Dr. Helgen had hunted the larger echidnas. The finding has led researchers to carry out the hunt for the animal.

The researchers said the specimen and information they received was enough to consider it as evidence that the long-beaked echidna has survived into the early twentieth century.

The common echidna is found all over Aus, there is one living up the road from me actually, they are about the size of a football, the one they are talking about can grow to 10kg, see the picture in the article.

www.theaustralian.com.au... rg6n6-1226956041615

Link not working op . a reply to: Cinrad

a reply to: the2ofusr1

I'm not too good with this sort of thing but I have tiny-url'd the link in the hope that it works for you

Scientists begin hunt for giant echidna

absolutely astounding something that size thought to be extinct from the region for millennia might still be lurking somewhere enduring the test of time (even if it only made it to the turn of the last century its still impressive), star and flag op for an interesting thread.

Fascinating.

More proof that things can live on unnoticed for centuries. And now when cryptozoologists make this point they have something to reference other than the coelacanth.

Sorry about the broken link. Thanks for fixing it BelowLowAnnouncement.

I consider my self pretty well versed in Australian wildlife, I had never heard about these things, I am starting to realize that there are quite a few of our wildlife in New Guinea I didnt know about.

a reply to: Cinrad

Interesting..