Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna

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iSir David's Long-beaked Echidna<ref name=MSW3>Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.</ref>

Conservation status

Image:Status iucn3.1 EN.svg
Endangered (EN)

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Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Monotremata
Family:	Tachyglossidae
Genus:	Zaglossus
Species:	Z. attenboroughi

Binomial name

Zaglossus attenboroughi
Flannery & Groves, 1998

Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi), also known as the Cyclops Long-beaked Echidna, is one of three species from the genus Zaglossus to occur in New Guinea. It is named in honour of Sir David Attenborough. It lives in the Cyclops mountains in Papua province of Indonesia near the cities of Sentani, Jayapura.

The species was described from a single damaged specimen collected in the Dutch colonial era (c. 1961), and has apparently not been collected since that time.<ref> Flannery, T.F., C.P. Groves (1998). "A revision of the genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with description of new species and subspecies". Mammalia 62 (3): 387-390.</ref> Given the ongoing anthropogenic disturbance of the Cyclops Mountain forest habitat, this has raised concern that Z. attenboroughi populations may already be endangered or even locally extirpated. However, it is important to note that biological surveys of Papua province are notoriously incomplete and it is possible that the animal still exists there or in related mountain ranges.

It is the smallest member of the genus, being closer in size to the Short-beaked Echidna than other members of the genus. It has five claws on its fore and hind feet. It has dense short fur.