Sir David's long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi ) is one of the three species from the genus Zaglossus that occurs in New Guinea. It is named in honor of Sir David Attenborough, the eminent naturalist.
It is the smallest member of the genus Zaglossus, being closer in size to the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus ). The male is larger than the female and can be differentiated by the spurs on its hind legs.
Sir David's long-beaked echidnas live in forests in the Cyclops Mountains, which are near the cities of Sentani and Jayapura in the Indonesian province of Papua.
These echidnas are not social and come together with their own kind only during the breeding season. They are active at nighttime. When feeling threatened they roll up into a spiny ball, somewhat in the manner of a hedgehog.
Sir David’s long-beaked echidnas have a carnivorous (vermivorous, insectivores, myrmecophagous) diet and feed mainly on earthworms, termites, insect larvae, and ants.
Little information is available about the mating system and reproductive behavior of this species. It is known that mating takes place in July. Females lay the eggs after about 8 days, and the babies stay in the mother's pouch for around 8 weeks or until their spines develop.
Sir David’s long-beaked echidna is threatened by hunting and habitat loss. In fact, it was thought to be extinct until some of its "nose pokes" were found in the mountains of New Guinea. These "nose pokes" are very distinctive and result from the echidna's feeding technique. These animals are so high on the endangered species list that locals are being educated about the species and asked to stop their tradition of hunting and killing them.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of Sir David’s long-beaked echidna total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.