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Project Noah Nature School
Tachyglossus aculeatus
This short stout ball of fur and spines is an anteater and the only one of its genus Tachyglossus. It has a short snout and the fore limbs are strong with claws to tear through dirt when required. The body is covered with spines and the backside has a ball of spines which helps deter predators.
Spotted in a nature reserve.
I have not been able to get a good shot of the head and snout until today. This little ball of spnes was on his own, waddling through the bush, searching and feasting on ants. The female lays a leathery egg which is deposited straight into her puch where the egg "hatches" and the hatchling, which is about 1.5 mm, develops. The newly hatched young are called "puggles". Order: Monotremata Subfamily: Tachyglossidae
Spotted on Feb 27, 2014
Submitted on Feb 27, 2014
34 Comments (1–25)
......and this will certainly make you feel more envious - one wandered into our backyard a couple of years ago, at the end of years of drought.
Seriously Jaymie, don't despair, you will see one soon. I saw my first one (in the wild) about 10 years after coming to Oz. You might not have to wait that long given the ever increasing dryness. Check out dry areas but we saw a few also in the Dandenong Ranges (Sherbrooke), away from crowds & cameras !
All the best !
I have been searching for an echidna since I arrived in Australia :( no luck!!! This one is so cute! Im so jealous
Thanks, Leanne.
Magic find Leuba! Congratulations & so happy you've ticked this one off the list. Love it :)
Congrats. You never know what's gonna take you to fame!
great series,Leuba!
Congrats Leuba!Nice shots!!
Thanks again everyone ! With a choice of brown,black, grey or white (Mark & Martin get all the colours), I did not think I'd ever get a SOTD. Yes, it's a good feeling although there are great echidna photos on PN already.
Great shot Leuba, it's so hard to get a good view of an echidna's face!
So cute!
Congratulations, Leuba, it is very special. I've never seen one of these.
Awesome spotting! :) Congrats on the spotting of the day!
congrats on SotD :)
wow soooooo cute..... love him.... Congratz Leuba ....
Congratulations, it is a worthy photo.
Nice feeling, Leuba. Don't hug the echidna too hard.
Congratulations Leuba!
Congratulations Leuba. Nice series
Wow..nice fellow :) Congratulations Leuba :)
Congrats Leuba! I can't believe this is only your first SOTD. Well deserved!
Patience pays off. These are wonderful photos, Leuba, of this amazing fellow. Congratulations on a much-deserved SOTD. Puggles? I like that :-)
Lauren, I agree. All spines and claw. It seemed to be sniffing the air...
An SOTD !! I am truly amazed, excited and honoured. Very unexpected...this is actually my first SOTD and it feels great !! I wish I could tell the little echidna and thank him/her. Normally I only get to see the rear end and they never seem to get their heads up for me. So, it was great to get a good view of the snout. Thanks to everyone for your kind comments and thanks to Karen (and any one else involved) in choosing this for an SOTD.
Congratulations. Yes Lauren you should never cross a rearing echidna (you might trip over something :)
Congratulations Leuba! It looks rather dangerous.
Fabulous photos Leuba. The first one is really good. Don't know how you got it to stand up like that! Great info also. Congrats on a well deserved SOTD...