One of Australia's unique animals, the Echidna is an egg laying mammal. Also known as the Spiny Ant Eater, its diet is ants and termites that it finds by burrowing with its strong claws.

[PJ1]

Nice shot. Interesting animals and highly intelligent as well. There is a great research opportunity waiting for someone on that.

[slowpez]

You Aussies have hogged all the weird and wonderful animals. Interesting critter that we get to occasionally in a zoo sometimes.

[Bruce Clark]

You Aussies have hogged all the weird and wonderful animals. Interesting critter that we get to occasionally in a zoo sometimes.

We are blessed in that department. I get a real buzz out of finding one of these fellows. Our other egg laying mammal the Platypus is also known in this area. I have yet to spot one in the wild.

Nice shot. Interesting animals and highly intelligent as well. There is a great research opportunity waiting for someone on that.

They are certainly amazing beasts, to watch it tear up that path, tossing rocks out of the way was a real pleasure. I am not to sure the rangers are all that happy having to repair the damage.

[Bob Harris]

cool animal Bruce, you sure got up close for the shot, haven't heard of this particular species.

[Des]

- Well done Bruce. It's hard to get a face shot because when they become aware of you they dig in, relying on the spines as a defence.

They are one of my favourite animals. They just quietly go about their business, waddling along with great determination.

The monotreme thing (platypus and two species of echidna) is amazing - the most primitive of mammals and kind of a missing link with reptiles. They don't have a teat to suckle the young (which are called puggles BTW - isn't that a great name?) but a gland that secretes milk.

I once saw three echidna puggles together around here. Don't suppose I'll ever see that again.

[Bruce Clark]

- Well done Bruce. It's hard to get a face shot because when they become aware of you they dig in, relying on the spines as a defence.

They are one of my favourite animals. They just quietly go about their business, waddling along with great determination.

The monotreme thing (platypus and two species of echidna) is amazing - the most primitive of mammals and kind of a missing link with reptiles. They don't have a teat to suckle the young (which are called puggles BTW - isn't that a great name?) but a gland that secretes milk.

I once saw three echidna puggles together around here. Don't suppose I'll ever see that again.

Thanks Des, I was watching this one for a good 15 minutes and it ignored me almost totally the whole time. Once or twice if I moved suddenly it clenched up in a ball but soon relaxed and continued strolling about and digging up the ground.

It would be great to see three of them together..

cool animal Bruce, you sure got up close for the shot, haven't heard of this particular species.

Thanks Bob. They are not particularly rare but are not often seen, blending in so well with the background. Most often they are spotted on tracks and while crossing roads.

[wibbly]

Was in Australia last November and we managed to find one of these guys just off the great ocean road near some famous surf beach, can't remember the name. They are really neat animals

[Bruce Clark]

Was in Australia last November and we managed to find one of these guys just off the great ocean road near some famous surf beach, can't remember the name. They are really neat animals

Bells Beach perhaps? It is our most famous along the Great Ocean Rd. There are a lot down that way, surf beaches and Echidnas.

[Des]

It would be great to see three of them together.

Crappy photo, but memorable.

[Bruce Clark]

Crappy photo, but memorable.

Lovely little critters

[wibbly]

Bruce, probably. I'm awful at remembering names of places. I got a good picture of one at a sanctuary at ballarat I think. Will post in a sec

[clackers]

They love their eating and will resist fleeing until the last moment, so encountering them isn't rare. Platypuses, though ...

[PJ1]

It would be great to see three of them together

Not an outstanding photo - two of them, in my woolshed, IR shot taken with a motion sensor camera. The female (the larger one) lives under the floor. I have seen four together. It usually occurs in mating season when a female is being followed by several males. It's called an echidna train. Because the males are slightly smaller, it is often mistaken for a mother and babies. Mating season is around August.


I caught this female in a box trap that I had set for a feral cat in the shed. She escaped by lifting the drop-latch that held the door shut and walking out (I got part of it on camera, but not the small movements when she was actually lifting the latch). Pretty amazing considering they are not built for that kind of manipulation. But they have an impressive brain with a greater proportion devoted to problem solving than we have!.

[wibbly]

really neat little guys. wouldn't mind one wandering around the house really