Short-nosed echidnas ( Tachyglossus) feedmostly on ants and termites. Long-nosed echidnas ( Zaglossus) feed primarily on earthworms, andpossibly scarab larvae as well. Little is known about how platys care for their youngbecause the burrow ould need to be excavated without disturbing the mother.

The burrow is lined with dry vegetation, and therethe eggs are laid. In the platypus, the female retires to a burrow in thebank of a river or pond. In echidnas, theegg is carried in a pouch on the female's belly until the young hatches, atwhich point the barely-developed young must find a mammary gland and latch ontoit for nourishment. The single feature of monotremes that, perhaps more than any other, causesthem to stand out among them mammals is thatmonotremes lay eggs rather than giving birth to their young. Zaglossus is apparently restrictedto New Guinea. Of the echidnas, Tachyglossus has the greater range, occurring in eastern Australia,as well as New Guinea and Tasmania. The modern platypus is distributed among the freshwater systems of easternAustralia where it occurs in abundance, though its range does appear tohave been rather reduced since the 19th century. At the bottom is one of the two living species of echidna,shown digging for earthworms that make up most of its diet.

The babies are not fully formed when they hatch lacking hair, claws,and a sense of sight. Monotremes: At top, a mother platypus cares for her immatureyoung. Life History and Ecology of the Monotremata Monotremata: Life History & Ecology

Are platypus venomous