The western long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijnii ) is one of the four extant echidnas and one of three species of Zaglossus that occur in New Guinea. Originally described as Tachyglossus bruijnii, this is the type species of Zaglossus.
The Western long-beaked echidna is an egg-laying mammal that lives in New Guinea. It is larger than the short-beaked species and its snout is longer and turns downward. The spines are almost indistinguishable from the long fur. It is also distinguished from the other long-beaked echidnas by the number of claws on the fore and hind feet: three (rarely four).
Western long-beaked echidnas are found in the Bird's Head Peninsula and Foja Mountains of West Papua and Papua provinces, Indonesia; they are absent from the southern lowlands and north coast. The preferred habitats of these animals are alpine meadows and humid montane forests.
Western long-beaked echidnas are very secretive and are extremely difficult to locate. They are thought to be solitary creatures. During the day they typically rest in their burrows, and at night come out to forage on the forest floor for earthworms. Western long-beaked echidnas move slowly, with their head lowered to the ground. If a stone or a log comes across on their path they prefer to climb over it, rather than pass it by. When feeling threatened long-beaked echidnas will hide or crouch, bending their beak under their body and expose the needles outward.
Western long-beaked echidnas are carnivores and feed mainly on earthworms.
The breeding season of Western long-beaked echidnas starts in July. The female has a temporary abdominal brood patch, in which its single egg is incubated and in which the newborn young remains in safety, feeding, and developing. The altricial (helpless) young hatches after about 10 days and is fed by the female for up to 6 months.
Western long-beaked echidnas are threatened by human activities including habitat loss and hunting. These animals are also considered a delicacy, and although commercial hunting of the species has been banned by the Indonesian and Papua New Guinean governments, traditional hunting is still permitted.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Western 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.