Helen Marconi, age 13, of Fargo, N.D., for her question:

WHERE DOES THE ECHIDNA LIVE?

The echidna is also called the spiny anteater. This mammal, which is closely related to the platypus, live wild in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. Here's how you pronounce the animal's name: ee kid nah.

Coarse hair and sharp spines cover the echidna. It has a flattened body about 12 to 18 inches long. The animal has strong claws, which it uses to dig into the ground and partly bury itself for protection.

The echidna's mouth and nose form a long slender beak. It uses its long whiplike tongue to lick up insects. It has no teeth and swallows its food whole.

The open forest is where you'll find the echidna living. During the day it stays in hollows among rocks and tree roots. It comes out to feed at night.

The female echidna lays a single egg which is covered with a tough skin. The egg is hatched in a pouch that is formed by a fold of skin on the female's belly. The young echidna remains in the pouch for several weeks and feeds on its mother's milk.