- Endemic to the island of New Guinea, long-beaked echidnas are widespread and found in both Papua New Guinea in the west and Papua on the Indonesian side.
- Echidnas are among the most primitive mammals on the planet. They belong to an ancient clade of egg-laying mammals that has changed very little in the past 100 million years.
- Long-beaked echidnas have no teeth; instead their tongues are covered in spikes (teeth-like projections), which are very effective in hooking earthworms and drawing them into the mouth.
- Echidnas are traditionally divided into two species, Tachyglossus aculeatus (short-beaked echidna) and Zaglossus bruijni (long-beaked echidna). However, there has been considerable controversy over this classification. Many scientists argue that the genus Zaglossus is actually composed of three species: Zaglossus bruijni (long-beaked echidna), Zaglossus attenboroughi (Attenborough's or Cyclops long-beaked echidna) and Zaglossus bartoni (Barton's long-beaked echidna).
- Attenborough’s echidna is known from a single specimen found in the Cyclops Mountains of West Papua. It was thought to be extinct until a 2007 EDGE expedition discovered convincing evidence that the species still survives.
- Traditional hunting is the main reason for the species' decline. Long-beaked echidnas are highly prized game species and are hunted for food by local people with trained dogs.
- Other threats come from farming, logging and mining, which are causing a decline in the species' forest habitat.
- Very little is known about the threats to Attenborough's echidna, which is known from only a single specimen, although interviews with local community members suggest that it may also be at risk from hunting.
- Surveys to determine the conservation status of this poorly-known species.
- Long-term monitoring programmes to identify population trends and discover more about the species' ecology and behaviour.
- Community surveys to determine the main threats to the species.
- Development of a comprehensive Conservation Action Plan detailing actions needed to save the species.
- Education programmes to inform local people of the importance of this species and the fact that it is found nowhere else on earth.
EDGE aims to determine the status of this poorly-known echidna species, and make recommendations for the development of appropriate conservation measures to secure its future.
Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna is known from a single specimen collected by a Dutch botanist in 1961, and currently held in the National Museum of Natural History, Leiden. The species was, until recently, believed to be restricted to a single mountain peak in the Cyclops Mountains in the Indonesian province of Papua (on the western side of the island of New Guinea). There have been few systematic attempts to survey the flora and fauna of the Cyclops Mountains and no mammal surveys in the region since the type specimen was collected. The main threats to the species are not known, although other long-beaked echidnas are threatened by hunting and human encroachment onto their habitat.
During the May 2007 EDGE research expedition, convincing evidence was obtained that the Attenborough’s echidna survives in the Cyclops. Nose-pokes (holes in the ground made by long-beaked echidnas searching for worms) and burrows thought to have been made by Attenborough’s echidna were found on the slopes of the mountains, and local community members positively identified the species, reporting that they had seen it as recently as 2005. Furthermore, the species is believed to occur in the lowlands surrounding the mountains in addition to the higher peaks. If this is true, then it greatly expands the known range of the species, which was previously thought to be less than 50km².
The signs are encouraging, but it is vital that we assess the conservation status of this poorly-known species as soon as possible. EDGE researchers hope to initiate a monitoring programme in conjunction with local students from the Cenderawasih University, Jayapura. This will provide essential information on the distribution and population status of the species, as well as other poorly-known and evolutionarily distinct mammal species present in the reserve and surrounding areas. These data will be used to assist in the development of a Conservation Action Plan for the Cyclops Mountains mammal fauna.