What is Sir David's long-beaked echidna?
Q: What is Sir David's long-beaked echidna?
A: Sir David's long-beaked echidna, also known as the cyclops long-beaked echidna, is a species of the genus Zaglossus that is found in New Guinea.
Q: Where does Sir David's long-beaked echidna live?
A: Sir David's long-beaked echidna lives in the Cyclops mountains in Papua province of Indonesia near the cities of Sentani, Jayapura.
Q: Why is Sir David's long-beaked echidna named after Sir David Attenborough?
A: Sir David's long-beaked echidna is named after Sir David Attenborough as a tribute for his work on natural history television programs.
Q: Why is there concern about the Z. attenboroughi populations?
A: There is concern about the Z. attenboroughi populations as the Cyclops mountain forest habitat, where it lives, has been disturbed recently. This has raised concern that the populations may already be endangered or even locally extinct.
Q: When was the species of Sir David's long-beaked echidna described?
A: The species of Sir David's long-beaked echidna was described from a single damaged animal, which was collected in the Dutch colonial era (c. 1961).
Q: What did scientists find in 2007 related to Sir David's long-beaked echidna?
A: In 2007, scientists found holes which they believe were made by Sir David's long-beaked echidna poking its nose into the dirt while looking for earthworms.
Q: How does Sir David's long-beaked echidna differ from other members of the genus Zaglossus?
A: Sir David's long-beaked echidna is the smallest member of the genus and it is closer in size to the short-beaked echidna than other members of the genus. It has five claws on its fore and hind feet and dense short fur.
