Talk:What are the two surviving species of monotreme?

Platypus and four species of echidnas

Monotremes are basal mammals that lay eggs (Prototheria) instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials (Metatheria) and placental mammals (Eutheria).

The only surviving examples of monotremes are all indigenous to Australia and New Guinea, although there is evidence that they were once more widespread.

The existing monotreme species are the platypus and four species of echidnas.

There is currently some debate regarding monotreme taxonomy.

The word monotreme comes from the Greek μονός, monos ("single") and τρῆμα, trema ("hole"), referring to the cloaca.

Read more...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotreme