What are the two main surviving groups of echidnas distinguished by, among other factors?
Answer
Bill length and geographical location
The two main types that currently survive are the short-beaked and the long-beaked species, which split based primarily on bill length and geographical location.
Related Questions
Which other major landmass shares the echidna lineage with Australia?What are the two main surviving groups of echidnas distinguished by, among other factors?What unique mammalian order do echidnas belong to, shared only with the platypus?What is the term for a young echidna, and how is it nourished?What do short-beaked echidnas primarily use their shorter snout to probe for?To which geographical location are the long-beaked echidnas (Zaglossus genus) endemic?Which description best fits the range of habitats inhabited by the short-beaked echidna in Australia?What key characteristic defines the reproductive strategy of echidnas as monotremes?What survival mechanism allows the short-beaked echidna to persist during cold snaps or food scarcity?Why are long-beaked echidnas encountered less frequently by researchers compared to their Australian counterparts?