Echidna find rewrites natural history books

[Still Waters]

Scientists say the discovery of a stuffed western long-beaked echidna in a London museum could mean the animal, thought to be extinct in Australia, may still be living in the nation's north-west.

The long-beaked echidna, which is about twice as big as a common Australian echidna, was thought to have become extinct in Australia in the last ice age - although it still lives in Papua New Guinea.

http://www.abc.net.a...2906?section=wa

[Rlyeh]

Just a small correction, echidnas aren't birds, they're monotremes (mammals).

http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2003/The-Enigma-of-the-Echidna.aspx

[Abramelin]

Just a small correction, echidnas aren't birds, they're monotremes (mammals).

http://www.nwf.org/N...he-Echidna.aspx

And one learned to fly.

But got stuffed as a reward.

[PersonFromPorlock]

"I realised, my goodness, is this actually saying that it's actually a long beaked echidna that was collected in Australia? That was phenomenally exciting if that was true."

I quite sympathize, but LOL! there speaks a true academic!