Are Echidna Spines Poisonous?

"A waxy secretion is produced around the base on the echidna spur, and we have shown that it is not venomous but is used for communicating during breeding," said Professor Kathy Belov, lead author of the study published in PLOS One today. ... One of monotremes' unique characteristics is spurs on the males' hind legs.

Are echidnas quills poisonous?

If you disregard their spikes, male echidnas are lovers not fighters. ... No one was injected for the study, but Professor Belov and her team did discover the waxy secretions, which are produced by glands that sit behind the male echidna spur, were not venomous, unlike those of the platypus.

Are echidnas dangerous?

Other than those predators, few animals can successfully attack an Echidna. Echidnas have extremely keen senses of hearing and smell, and are able to detect the early approach of danger. As soon as they feel threatened, they curl into a ball, protecting their soft belly and exposing only their sharp spines.