How an echidna's nose works (for you!)

An echidna is a funny animal with a long, pointy nose. Its nose is like a superhero detector that finds bugs hiding in dirt and leaves!

Step by step

• It pokes and sniffs: The echidna pushes its nose into the ground or under leaves to look for food.
• Special sensors: Inside the nose are tiny helpers called electroreceptors. That big word means they can feel very small things.
• They feel tiny wiggles: When a worm or insect moves, it makes teeny tiny wiggles and tiny electric signals. The echidna's nose can sense those wiggles, even if the bug is hiding.
• Finds and eats the bug: When the nose finds the wiggle, the echidna uses its sticky tongue to catch the bug and eat it.

Try a game

Close your eyes and pretend you are an echidna. Ask a grown-up or friend to wiggle one finger under a blanket. Move your nose (or your hand) slowly over the blanket until you find the wiggle. That’s like how an echidna finds a bug!

So an echidna's nose is super because it can feel tiny movements and tiny electric signals — it’s a little bug-detecting superhero!