We have some strange animals here in Australia. Actually, that’s probably a bit of an unfair comment about our
wonderful and unique fauna, as it isn’t really that strange unless you start comparing
it to other animals elsewhere in the world.
Here in Australia, an egg laying mammal isn’t really that strange… we
have one more*. The Echidna which as
much as it is like a Hedgehog and Porcupine, isn’t anything at all like either
of them. Yeah, it’s got spines and is
cute and not cuddly… and that’s really about all that is the same. I’ve just realised I don’t know much about
the Hedgehog or Porcupine, but that’s not really an issue here in Australia as they
are not walking around our neighbourhood, unlike:
I took this photo last week a few kilometers away from Huc
& Gabet headquarters. For those who
don’t know the Echidna, they tend to roll up as a defence mechanism against
anything they consider nasty, in this case me.
I’m a bit of a fan of Australian wildlife and the Echidna whilst not
uncommon, is an animal I rarely see in the wild. I took the photograph to show some of the
locals and wondered how they would react to my amateur wildlife spotting (and photography). Everyone I’ve shown the photo to has reacted positively…
which is nice.
This book features photographs of the Echidnas on Kangaroo
Island off the coast of South Australia. They are different to my local Echidnas as you
can probably see if you compare my photograph and the image on the dust jacket. From what I can gather the four species of Echidna
are fairly similar and unless you’re a zoologist seeking the minutae on Echidnas,
then one book should fit all.** There lots of Echidna text/information as well
as the photographs and there’s even some photographs of a Porcupine and a Hedgehog
to help clarify the differences for those of us who want to clarify the
differences.
*The Platypus
**Ill informed comment by someone who knows nothing about
Echidnas.
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