Echidna : 無料・フリー素材/写真
Echidna / wallygrom
| ライセンス | クリエイティブ・コモンズ 表示-継承 2.1 |
|---|---|
| 説明 | Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia.From Wikipedia -The Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), also known as the Spiny Anteater because of its diet of ants and termites, is one of four living species of Echidna and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. The Short-beaked Echidna is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which it uses to catch its prey at a great speed. Like the other extant monotremes, the Short-beaked Echidna lays eggs; the monotremes are the only group of mammals to do so.The species is found throughout Australia, where it is the most widespread native mammal, and in coastal and highland regions of southwestern New Guinea, where it is known as the Mungwe in the Daribi and Chimbu languages. It is not threatened with extinction, but human activities, such as hunting, habitat destruction, and the introduction of foreign predatory species and parasites, have reduced the distribution of the Short-beaked Echidna in Australia.Taxonomy and namingThe Short-beaked Echidna was first described by George Shaw in 1792. He named the species Myrmecophaga aculeata, thinking it might be related to the South American anteater. Since Shaw first described the species, its name has undergone four revisions: from M. aculeata to Ornithorhynchus hystrix, Echidna hystrix, Echidna aculeata and, finally, Tachyglossus aculeatus. The name Tachyglossus means "quick tongue", in reference to the speed with which the Echidna uses its tongue to catch ants and termites, and aculeatus means "spiny" or "equipped with spines".The Short-beaked Echidna is the only member of its genus, sharing the family Tachyglossidae with the extant species of the genus Zaglossus that occur in New Guinea. Zaglossus species, which include the Western Long-beaked, Sir David's Long-beaked and Eastern Long-beaked Echidna, are all significantly larger than T. aculeatus, and their diet consists mostly of worms and grubs rather than ants and termites. Species of the Tachyglossidae are egg-laying mammals; together with the related family Ornithorhynchidae, they are the only extant monotremes in the world.There are five subspecies of the Short-beaked Echidna, each found in a different geographical location. The subspecies also differ from one another in their hairiness, spine length and width, and the size of the grooming claws on their hind feet.T. a. acanthion is found in Northern Territory and Western Australia.T. a. aculeatus is found in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.T. a. lawesii is found in coastal regions and the highlands of New Guinea, and possibly in the rainforests of Northeast Queensland.T. a. multiaculeatus is found on Kangaroo Island.T. a. setosus is found on Tasmania and some islands in Bass Strait. The Short-beaked Echidna was commonly called the Spiny Anteater in older books, though this term has fallen out of fashion since the Echidna bears no relation to the true anteaters. It has a variety of names in the indigenous languages of the regions where it is found. The Noongar people from southwestern Western Australia call it the Nyingarn. In Central Australia southwest of Alice Springs, the Pitjantjatjara term is tjilkamata or tjirili, from the word tjiri for spike of Porcupine Grass (Triodia irritans). The word can also mean slowpoke. In central Cape York Peninsula, it is called (minha) kekoywa in Pakanh, where minha is a qualifier meaning 'meat' or 'animal', (inh-)ekorak in Uw Oykangand and (inh-)egorag in Uw Olkola, where inh- is a qualifier meaning 'meat' or 'animal'. In the highland regions of southwestern New Guinea it is known as the Mungwe in the Daribi and Chimbu languages. |
| 撮影日 | 2007-01-25 00:58:03 |
| 撮影者 | wallygrom |
| タグ | |
| 撮影地 | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 地図 |
| カメラ | KODAK V610 DUAL LENS DIGITAL CAMERA , EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY |
| 露出 | 0.004 sec (1/250) |
| 開放F値 | f/4.8 |
| 焦点距離 | 41 mm |