New pet

New pet · 05:25 AM

Here's what I found on my front verandah the other evening.

Not the best lighting and only using on camera flash as well.
I just went out snapping away just to get him really.

First time I have seen an echidna in the wild ... let alone at my front door.
Something you only see at the zoo really.

Mind you ... I only live just over an hour out from Sydney CBD.

lapeen · 10-08-2007, 06:01 AM

Neat!! The only time I have ever "seen" those was in my favorite movie as a kid "Dot and the Kangaroo"

mtnbearhug · 10-08-2007, 06:29 PM

Those are good pics.. It is alwasy to fun to capture an expected guest!!!

at First before I read your input.. I thought it was porcupine.. are they related to the porcupine?

Mr Hyde · 10-08-2007, 07:59 PM

Very cool. Thanks for posting

Mechan1k · 10-09-2007, 03:17 AM

Originally posted by mtnbearhug

Those are good pics.. It is alwasy to fun to capture an expected guest!!!

at First before I read your input.. I thought it was porcupine.. are they related to the porcupine?

I guess they probably come from the same family of species ... the Echidna is an ant-eater here in Australia ... and their spines are quite sharp ... i have seen pics before from a dog that tried to attack one ... lets say the dog was in a nasty way afterwards.

I was lucky my Border Collie was locked away on the back deck for the night ... otherwise it might havebeen a trip to the vet for her ... although she's a quick learner and probably wouldn't try anything after being jabbed.

These aren't the best shots ... as I just want to the get out of there and get photographic evidence of the rare occurence.

Mandi · 10-09-2007, 05:13 PM

For what it's worth: actually the echidna is completely unrelated to the porcupine, hedgehog, etc - their closest living relative is the duckbilled playtpus. There are only two species of echidna, I think - this one and a bigger, longer-nosed one that lives up in tropical Queensland or New Guinea or somewhere (can someone correct me on this, please?) and those two plus the only species of platypus are the ONLY monotremes in the world.

Monotremes are very, very primitive mammals - more primitive than the marsupials which make up the rest of Australia's native fauna, as they still lay eggs and don't have proper teats for suckling the young when they eventually hatch - instead they exude milk from modified sweat glands and the little ones lap it off the mother's fur. At least, I know that about the platypus - the echidnas definately lay eggs but I'm not certain whether they have some other arrangement for feeding the youngsters.

Absolutely fascinating animals, and the echidna is cute, too - we get them in the Royal National Park (on the southern boundary of Sydney) and surrounds fairly frequently. They somehow move like some weird sort of wind-up mechanical toy - very endearing. Thanks for posting, Simon.

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10-08-2007, 06:29 PM	#3
mtnbearhug Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Emmett, Idaho Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,351	Very cool Those are good pics.. It is alwasy to fun to capture an expected guest!!! at First before I read your input.. I thought it was porcupine.. are they related to the porcupine?

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10-08-2007, 06:01 AM	#2
lapeen Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: bangor, maine Posts: 380	Neat!! The only time I have ever "seen" those was in my favorite movie as a kid "Dot and the Kangaroo"

10-08-2007, 07:59 PM	#4
Mr Hyde Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: NJ, USA Posts: 760	Very cool. Thanks for posting

10-09-2007, 03:17 AM	#5
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891 Original Poster	Originally posted by mtnbearhug Those are good pics.. It is alwasy to fun to capture an expected guest!!! at First before I read your input.. I thought it was porcupine.. are they related to the porcupine? I guess they probably come from the same family of species ... the Echidna is an ant-eater here in Australia ... and their spines are quite sharp ... i have seen pics before from a dog that tried to attack one ... lets say the dog was in a nasty way afterwards. I was lucky my Border Collie was locked away on the back deck for the night ... otherwise it might havebeen a trip to the vet for her ... although she's a quick learner and probably wouldn't try anything after being jabbed. These aren't the best shots ... as I just want to the get out of there and get photographic evidence of the rare occurence.

10-09-2007, 05:13 PM	#6
Mandi Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 126	For what it's worth: actually the echidna is completely unrelated to the porcupine, hedgehog, etc - their closest living relative is the duckbilled playtpus. There are only two species of echidna, I think - this one and a bigger, longer-nosed one that lives up in tropical Queensland or New Guinea or somewhere (can someone correct me on this, please?) and those two plus the only species of platypus are the ONLY monotremes in the world. Monotremes are very, very primitive mammals - more primitive than the marsupials which make up the rest of Australia's native fauna, as they still lay eggs and don't have proper teats for suckling the young when they eventually hatch - instead they exude milk from modified sweat glands and the little ones lap it off the mother's fur. At least, I know that about the platypus - the echidnas definately lay eggs but I'm not certain whether they have some other arrangement for feeding the youngsters. Absolutely fascinating animals, and the echidna is cute, too - we get them in the Royal National Park (on the southern boundary of Sydney) and surrounds fairly frequently. They somehow move like some weird sort of wind-up mechanical toy - very endearing. Thanks for posting, Simon.