Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii), recorded as Critically Endangered
Western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Critically Endangered

Western long-beaked echidna

Zaglossus bruijnii

Western long-beaked echidna is a mammal in the family Tachyglossidae (order Monotremata) — Zaglossus bruijnii, recorded as Critically Endangered.

Status
Critically Endangered
Scientific name
Zaglossus bruijnii
CITES
Appendix II
Taxonomy
Mammalia · Monotremata · Tachyglossidae · Zaglossus

Appearance

The long-beaked echidna is also larger than the short-beaked species, reaching up to 16.5 kilograms (36 lb). The snout is longer and turns downward, and the spines are almost indistinguishable from the long fur.

Range and habitat

The species is found in the Bird's Head and Bomberai Peninsulas in Western New Guinea of Indonesia, at elevations up to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). Its preferred habitats are hill and montane forests. The western long-beaked echidna, also called Bruijin's long-beaked echidna, is one of the four extant echidnas and one of three species of Zaglossus that occurs in New Guinea.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

In crisis

The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Numbers have decreased due to human activities, among them habitat loss and hunting.

CITES lists this taxon on Appendix II. Confirm the current appendix on the CITES checklist.

Western long-beaked echidna is Critically Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Western long-beaked echidna, Wikidata item Q635949. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Zaglossus attenboroughi (Zaglossus attenboroughi), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Zaglossus attenboroughi

Zaglossus attenboroughi
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii

Quick answers

What is Western long-beaked echidna?
Western long-beaked echidna is a mammal in the family Tachyglossidae (order Monotremata) — Zaglossus bruijnii.
What is the conservation status of Western long-beaked echidna?
Critically Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Zaglossus bruijnii. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Western long-beaked echidna live?
Its preferred habitats are hill and montane forests.
Why is Western long-beaked echidna in crisis?
The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Numbers have decreased due to human activities, among them habitat loss and hunting.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Zaglossus bruijnii?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Western long-beaked echidna a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.