The Short-Beaked Echidna's Fast Tongue

The short-beaked echidna flicks its tongue 100 times a minute.

Echidnas are egg-laying mammals found throughout Australia and eastern New Guinea.

The genus name Tachyglossus means fast tongue in Ancient Greek.

Cream-coloured spines up to 50 mm long cover the echidna's body.

The sticky tongue stretches up to 180 mm outside the snout.

Strong front claws let the echidna move a 13.5 kg stone.

One captive echidna even pushed a refrigerator around a room.

Threatened echidnas roll into a ball using a huge skin muscle.

The echidna stomach has almost neutral acidity, unlike other mammals.

Females lay one egg a year during the Australian mating period.

Newborn echidnas are the size of a grape and grow rapidly.

Seven weeks later, babies become too spiky for the pouch.

At around six months young echidnas leave their mothers for good.

The earliest echidna fossils date back around 15 million years ago.