Echidna

An echidna on a rainy day, rolling confidently through its territory looking for food. Echidnas have huge territories, maybe 100 hectares ... and are unusual animals all round, starting with the fact that they are one of only two egg-laying mammals left in the universe. (The other is the platypus).

An interesting web page about echidnas...
www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?articleId=763&am...

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Comments

Nounou 12 Maryse says:

Beau portrait !!bravo !!
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

nightboss54 says:

i like the bigger picture julian
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

Gerard31 says:

Great catch. The dirt gives it character.
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Seen in my contacts' photos. (?)
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

pierre pouliquin says:

Nice one!
--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

apurdam (Andrew) says:

Nice shot.
It's non-trivial getting a face shot of an echidna, as it is the first thing they hide when disturbed.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

dmf says:

Congratulations .. it's a very classy feat to get this close to one .. and have him head above ground .. both shots are lovely !

--
Seen on your photo stream. (?)
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

aaardvaark says:

Actually I agree with Nightboss so I've replaced the original image with the "bigger picture" version.

As Andrew and Evening Star point out, it's not so easy getting one looking in your direction so I was pretty pleased to get down low and undetected by this fellow as he rolled along. I have a fine collection of photos of echidna backsides, but only a couple from the front.

As an aside, I stopped to watch one cross the road once. While the others stayed near the car on the echidna side of the road, I crossed and stood in its projected path, ever so still and clutching a camera. It waddled across veeeery slowly, then apparently perceiving a threat and thinking I was a tree, rushed to my bare legs and started scratching them as though it was climbing and/or digging. It hurt, and I wasn't taking any photos -- too busy escaping! I think the scars are still there.
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken with a Canon EOS 30D.
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Taken on February 4, 2008
Viewed 1,597 times
Replaced on February 16, 2008

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