Plural of echidna; small spiny mammals from Australia and New Guinea that eat ants and termites and are one of the few mammals that lay eggs.
From Greek 'echidna,' originally meaning 'viper' or 'adder.' Applied to these Australian animals by European naturalists who noted their spiny, viper-like appearance.
Echidnas have a four-chambered heart, 10 penises (males), and can curl into an almost impenetrable ball—they're nature's weird but wonderful engineers of survival!
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