This is my response to the Ragtag Daily Prompt of 10 July 2018 — Dart.
The short-beaked echidna must be one of the cutest animals you are ever likely to encounter if you visit Australia.
It is a monotreme. Montremes are mammals that lay eggs, yet suckle their young. There are only two mammals that lay eggs – the echidna and the platypus. Echidnas are rather small, at only 30 to 40cm long and weighing 2-5 kilograms. Their body is covered with spines about 5cm long. Echidnas also have fur growing between the spines.
The echidna is very slow and unfortunately has a habit of crossing roads and getting squished. So keep an eye out for them if you happen to be driving on country roads in Australia, and slow down if you can’t clearly see what is ahead of you.
Here is a video clip for the littlies out there. It features the echidna and the numbat. The numbats actually steal the scene, but no matter.
Looking for writing or photography inspiration? Check out the Ragtag Daily Prompt – Dart.
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Kind Regards
Tracy.
Reflections of An Untidy Mind 
What a charmer. Looks like a good playmate for our very own hedgehog.
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I thought so too, Margaret. 🙂
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Oh! Thanks so much for sharing the video, Tracy! It’s so lovely and I even learned new things which is always good. 😊 The echidna and numbats are sooo cute!!! You’ve made my day with this friend! 😄
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You are welcome, Sarah. They are definitely worth a smile.
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Echidnas, numbats, and littlies. I learned three new words today 🙂
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🙂
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Fabulous! I learnt something too today. Thanks for educating me on the Echidna 😊
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I love it when I learn something new. Glad you enjoyed it, Christine.
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You have the most unusual animals in Australia! They are fun to look at 😊
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very cool. I didn’t know about Echidnas although they taught us about the Platypus in junior high school, I think.
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I’m glad the post was informative. Thanks for commenting, Mary.
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I have only ever seen one in the wild once and that was along the ocean track around Burleigh Headlands. He was rolled up with a group of people looking at him.
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We tend to see them in quieter areas, Pauline, eg. bordering national parks and other wilderness areas.
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They are cute, but certainly not an animal to touch! Reminds me of the armadillos we have in the US. They’re sort of cute and do no one any harm, but the thing they are best at seems to be getting hit by cars, poor things.
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How distressing. 😦
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