An echidna strolled out!!! For those of you who have no idea what this native Australian animal looks like, here's a picture for you...
Interesting facts:
* along with the platypus, echidnas are the world's only monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. (Mammals have pouches in which they raise their young).
* All echidnas have sharp spines covering the back of their short, stocky bodies.
* The echidna's snout is between 7 and 8 cm long, and is stiffened to enable the animal to break up logs and termite mounds when searching for food. An echidna's mouth is on the underside of its snout, at the end.
* The echidna looks fearsome enough, but it is a shy animal and would rather retreat than fight if disturbed. When frightened it will curl into a ball, with its snout and legs tucked beneath it and its sharp spines sticking out.
* All echidnas have sharp spines covering the back of their short, stocky bodies.
* The echidna's snout is between 7 and 8 cm long, and is stiffened to enable the animal to break up logs and termite mounds when searching for food. An echidna's mouth is on the underside of its snout, at the end.
* The echidna looks fearsome enough, but it is a shy animal and would rather retreat than fight if disturbed. When frightened it will curl into a ball, with its snout and legs tucked beneath it and its sharp spines sticking out.
* Echidnas have been known to live for as long as 16 years in the wild, but generally their life span is thought to be under 10 years.
And here's another couple of cute pictures....
Now WHAT is just so great about echidna's I hear you say?! Well, it's not the fact that they're cute... it's the fact that when I was feeling soooooooo low, something as simple as a wild animal crossing my path totally cheered me up, and I had the biggest smile on my face for the rest of the day! Nature at it's finest! I stood watching it until the echidna had enough of me and hid behind a tree.... I didn't want to get to close in case I frightened it away. I ran in to get my camera, but typically, my batteries were charging so I couldn't use it ARGH!!
Anyhow, since yesterday I've done some amazing things.....
I've been a Mummy to my gorgeous first born.
I've been a wife to my devoted husband.
I went to work in aged care, and wiped dirty bums and loved it. I worked my first shift out of orientation today, and I MADE IT!! The shift didn't fall apart as I'd envisaged... in fact, it went really well!
Oh, and I saw an echidna in the wild.... who else can say that?
Love to all!
~Natt~
2 comments:
Yeah...we have them back home as well *lol* but the spikes are thinner and the whole thing is a fair bit bigger than 7- 8 cms (some get as big as 3/4 of a foot)...
We call them HEDGEHOGS!!!..have no idea where they got the name from...oh and it seesm your OZzie ones have more of an attitude with the whole "flattop" hairdo !! our are more ball like.
Glad to see ya getting out and about though *lmao*..
Ian
ohhh you got closer than me as I was driving the car when steve and I found ours
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