this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
14 points (100.0% liked)
Melbourne
2112 readers
42 users here now
This community is a place created for the people of Melbourne and Victoria. We are a positive, welcoming and inclusive community. We might not agree about everything, but we always strive to stay civil and respectful.
The focus of our discussions is based around things that affect Victoria, but we are also free to discuss our local perspective on wider issues. Or head to the regular Daily Random Discussion thread to talk about anything.
Ongoing discussions, FAQs & Resources (still under construction)
Adoption Certificate for Nellie, the Daily Thread numbat (with thanks to @Catfish)
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
I think I've done what I can to prep for the presentation tomorrow - gonna do a few more reviews and editing (scientific names for animals should be in italics), and run through it with my partner.
I have a suspicion I may have put more info then they need, but I've adhered to the marking rubric so ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ
Anyone want to know some cool facts about Tachyglossus aculeatus (The Short-Beaked Echidna)? ๐
Subscribe
The maxilla and mandible of T. aculeatus is fused into a beak-like mouth. It isn't actually a beak, however, as it is made of specialised jaw bones and muscle, rather keratin coated bone (like a bird beak). They use their long tongue and long mouth to snuffle in soil for ants and termites (they are insectivores), and then use their tongue to grind up their food against a bony hard plate on the maxilla, along with a slight back and forth motion of their jaws, as opposed to the up and down motion humans do when we chew.
More
Their backwards facing hind feet (pointed towards the posterior of the animal/ pointed caudally) means that when they dig out their food or dig out burrows, the dirt is kicked back and away. Combined with the females backward- opening pouches (the opening of the pouch is also pointed towards the posterior) this means that dirt and soil and bugs won't be kicked into their pouch and onto their puggle.
They also produce milk (one of the reasons they are in the Mammalia Class) via mammary glands, but they don't have nipples in their pouches; the milk seeps through the skin a bit akin to sweat
โค๏ธ
This sounds like a fun assignment!
It is!! I also studied the skeletal systems of the Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) and the Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus), it is all extremely riveting! And it took me down a few different rabbit holes haha
That sounds like a fun rabbit hole. Or should I say snake / budgie hole
I like the word puggle