Oldest Animal At Brookfield Zoo Turns 50

BROOKFIELD, IL – Brookfield Zoo now has a 50-year-old animal. Adelaide, a short-beaked echidna, turned 50 years old on Saturday. She is the zoo's oldest animal.

Adelaide was presented with a nutritious birthday cake topped with one of her favorite food items— wax worms. Guests and staff at the zoo that day also sang Happy Birthday to her.

Here's a little bit about short-baked echidnas, via the Brookfield Zoo:

Short-beaked echidnas are native to Australia and central and south New Guinea. They are one of only two mammals to lay eggs. Their backs are covered with stout spines among a fur coat of varying color from light brown to black. They have a short, stubby tail. The hollow spines that cover most of their body are yellowish at the base and black at the tip and measure about 2 inches long. The underbelly lacks spines but is covered with fur and thick bristles. They have a long, tubular snout. Since they do not have teeth, they use their long, sticky tongue to gather food. There are two sets of hardened, keratinous spines (one set on the roof of the mouth and one at the base of the tongue) for grinding insect exoskeletons into a paste. Their feet have five flat claws that are adapted for digging, though their hind feet are used primarily for grooming.