Are echidnas closely related to porcupines?

Echidnas and porcupines may look similar, but they belong to different animal groups. The closest living relative to the echidna is perhaps surprising.

Echidnas are one of the cutest animals in Australia, with velvety fur, long noses and what looks like spines on their back. Many visitors assume that they must be closely related to the porcupine.

However, echidnas and porcupines are not closely related animals. They are actually from different groups of mammals.

Porcupines are rodents that are found in many parts of the world, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. They have long, sharp quills or spines that cover their bodies and are used for defense against predators. Porcupines belong to the family Erethizontidae or Hystricidae, depending on whether they’re the New World or Old World species.

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Are echidnas rodents or monotremes?

Echidnas, also known as spiny anteaters, are native to Australia and New Guinea. They are monotremes, which means they are egg-laying mammals. Echidnas have a distinctive spiny coat that helps protect them from predators. They are part of the family Tachyglossidae and are closely related to the platypus.

While both echidnas and porcupines have spines or quills, their evolutionary history and genetic makeup are very different. They belong to separate orders of mammals and are not closely related to each other.

What is the closest living relative to the echidna?

The echidna is an ancient monotreme species, which means that it is a mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. As such, it does not have any close living relatives among other mammals, as its lineage diverged from the rest of the mammals around 300 million years ago.

The only other monotreme in the world is the platypus, meaning the platypus is the closest living relative to the echidna.

Despite their physical differences, both animals share a number of traits that are unique to monotremes, such as laying eggs, having a cloaca (a single orifice used for excretion, mating, and laying eggs), and producing milk without nipples.

Tick off 9 Australian bucket list experiences

Take Blue Mountains day tour from Sydney – with kangaroo-feeding at a wildlife park, Scenic World tickets and a Parramatta River cruise.
Snorkel or dive on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.
Do Australia’s most spectacular drive on a Great Ocean Road day tour from Melbourne.
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Meet gloriously cute quokkas on Rottnest Island near Perth with a ferry and bike hire package.
Kayak with dolphins in Byron Bay.

Where to see echidnas in Australia

Good places to see echidnas in Australia include Tower Hill near Warrnambool in Victoria, Mount Field National Park in Tasmania, Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Murramarang National Park in New South Wales.