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Well, we knew one at least -- we remember learning in school about that odd creature called the platypus (no, it's not a "platymapus"). But we set out to see if there were any more. As it turns out, there are two other egg-laying mammals: the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) and the long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii). Also known as spiny anteaters, these prickly creatures are native to Australia and New Guinea. After mating, the female echidna lays a single egg in a small pouch on her body. The egg hatches after about
10 days, and the young echidna remains in the pouch for about 2-3 months before mom kicks it out (those spikes get painful). The platypus and the echidna are the only living examples of monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. Although mammalian in most respects, adult monotremes are toothless and share some similarities with birds or reptiles in some aspects of their anatomy. It's believed that mammals evolved from reptiles, and monotremes represent an early offshoot of mammals, retaining some of the characteristics of their reptilian ancestors.
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