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Monday 6 October 2008

What is it?

Okay. A little guessing game...

What is this?






















Need another clue?




















Maybe these might help?



Yes, there was great excitement in the family this evening as Eldest discovered an echidna waddling into our shed. It must have wandered in from down near the creek, though why it chose to come so close to the house we're not sure. It certainly didn't want to be moved, burying itself madly when P tried to move it. But we couldn't leave it there. The car, the ute and the truck are all parked in that shed and we didn't fancy backing out over such a beautiful example of Australia's wierd and wonderful wildlife. Eventually, heavily gauntleted, P managed to get him out and put him down on the track near the long grass so that he could go home, wherever that is. He was a little reluctant to go with such a rapt audience to entertain, but he did toddle off at last.


It's only the second echidna I've seen in these parts since I came here twenty years ago, so it really was quite an event. Even one of the cats came to see what all the fuss was about. Fortunately she had the sense not to get too close.

8 comments:

Angela Ackerman said...

It looks like a cross between a hedgehog and a porcupine!

Lexia257 said...

Agree angela..only with a longer nose ! I understand they are like ant eaters. Great pics, Kate

Kate said...

They are strange looking things, aren't they? They're not normally covered in leaves, dust and cobwebs, of course. Only when they've tried to bury themselves in the corner of a very dusty farm shed!

C.R. Evers said...

Wow! I've never heard of one of those before, let alone seen one! At first I thought it was a porcupine. Or a desert plant. Cool! I'm glad the kitty didn't get poked!

Christy

Rena Jones said...

Oooh, so cute! I'm glad I stumbled onto your blog again, Kate. I'll have to bookmark it. I think I posted on the blueboards awhile back that I saw your blog once and loved the little numbat pic. I have a PB about a numbat. They're just as cute as echidnas -- :)

Rena

Luc2 said...

It looks like my muse at this moment. Cery prickly, and impossible to handle without heavy gauntlets...

Kate said...

Hi Rena and thanks for visiting.

Luc, you're lucky! My muse is bald and covered in grease. No matter how hard I try to get hold of her, she always slips out of reach again!

Luc2 said...

Oh, the eel muse. I know that one too. :-(