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Feathers, Fur and Fins: Observing an echidna

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Presenter Don Spencer holds an echidna
Feathers, Fur and Fins: Observing an echidna

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  F–2


Join Don Spencer as he looks closely at an echidna.

Observe the body parts and covering of this unique Australian mammal.

Find out what the echidna eats.

Watch this amazing echidna move around in its natural habitat.


Things to think about

  1. 1.Have you seen an echidna? What do echidnas look like? How do they eat?
  2. 2.Look closely at the echidna. What covers its body? Watch how it eats. What body parts does it use to catch and eat its food? Don says the echidna eats termites. Does it also eat ants?
  3. 3.The echidna digs and scratches in the soil. What body parts help the echidna do this? This animal has a long snout and sticky tongue. Pretend you are an echidna searching for food and eating. See if someone else can guess what type of animal you are.
  4. 4.The echidna's spines are for 'defence' (protecting it from harm). Pretend you are an echidna. What will you do if you see a fox? How will your actions help protect you from it?



Date of broadcast: 9 Sep 1986


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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