At a Glance
This nocturnal egg-laying mammal was lost to science 52 years until it was rediscovered in 2023. It only lives in the Cyclops Mountains in Papua, Indonesia in tropical forests as high as 1,600 meters (5,200 feet) above sea level.
Since it was lost to science for decades and before that there was only one record of it in scientific literature, scientists are still learning about the behavior and ecology of Attenborough’s Echidna. They think it’s likely that its behavior and reproduction are similar to other echidnas.
Scientists think it’s possible that Attenborough’s Long-beaked Echidna has always been rare. With the combination of possibly always being rare and only living in a small area, scientists think that it’s likely that the species is threatened. The major threats to the species is hunting and destruction of their habitat for small scale agriculture and for logging.
At a glance
Taxa
Mammals
Geography
Indonesia
Status
Critically Endangered
Habitat
Tropical mountain forest
Estimated Population
Unknown
Threats
Hunting; habitat destruction and degradation
Potential Recovery Actions
Field surveys and monitoring; community engagement and conservation partnerships
