Short-beaked echidnas are not the most prominent animals in terms of media representation as not many people outside of Australians know what they are. However, there are a few pieces of media that depict these animals.
The most notable example is Knuckles from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. He does have some similarities to the real animal. For example, his big boxing gloves resemble claws and his dreadlocks resemble spines. He is also incredibly strong and great at digging.
However, he also has some differences from the real animal. For one thing, Knuckles can use his dreadlocks as a glider to soar through the air, which real echidnas cannot do with their spines. Another thing is that, unlike real echidnas, which mainly eat bugs, Knuckles has more of an appetite for fruit (grapes are his favourite).
