Breeding echidnas in captivity

该项目旨在为针鼹隐秘的繁殖模式提供新的见解，并开发出可靠的人工繁殖方法。在世界范围内的任何动物园中，针鼹都没有一个可持续的繁殖计划。这是必要的，因为大多数关于针鼹的研究都是基于野外的，因此不允许操纵来回答与它们的保护和生存有关的关键问题。利用关于短喙针鼹的最新科学成果，该项目将为单孔目动物的保护、研究和教育提供新的知识，并为极度濒危的长喙针鼹的圈养繁殖提供可靠的方法。

This project aims to provide novel insights into the cryptic and secretive mode of the reproduction of echidnas, and enable development of reliable methods for breeding them in captivity. There has not been a sustainable breeding program for echidnas in any zoo world-wide. This is needed because most studies on echidnas have all been field-based, and so not open to manipulation to answer key questions relevant to their conservation and survival. Using novel scientific results on the short-beaked echidna, the project will provide new knowledge relevant to monotreme conservation, research and education, and enable the development of reliable methods for breeding the critically endangered, long-beaked echidna in captivity.