Tachyglossus aculeatus By Matt Young July 26, 2010 12:00 MST Photograph by James Wood. Photography contest, Honorable Mention. Tachyglossus aculeatus – short-beaked echidna, or spiny anteater, wandering along the edge of the Jordan River, Midlands, Tasmania. One of Australia’s two native monotremes. Echidnas in Tasmania are somewhat hairier than individuals on the mainland and are recognized as subspecies setosus, one of five recognized subspecies.