Echidna research in the Mammalogy collection
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Stage 3, Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6 -
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Researching and collecting mammals is essential for understanding how animals and environments change over time, and to help us understand how to best conserve species under threat.
Echidnas and other mammals are collected or donated to the Australian Museum for research by Mammalogists, or for educational purposes. They are sometimes hit and hurt by cars or have died whilst being cared for in a zoo and are then given to the Museum.
A DNA test which can distinguish whether a quill is from an Australian or New Guinean sub-species was developed to help understand the illegal wildlife trade of echidnas.
Watch the video to learn about some recent research conducted at the Australian Museum.
Scroll through the images to follow a digital story about how echidnas in the Australian Museum's Mammalogy collections are used in research or for education.
© Australian Museum
