The Echidna of Tasmania
A different approach to life.
Monotremes are prototherian mammals and they come in only two varieties, the echidna (four species) and the platypus (one species).
They a fairly plentiful in Tasmania and I often come across them in the bush and around my shack. The species above is a short-beaked echidna.
The Tasmanian echidna, while not is separate species, is distinguished by its hairiness. Tasmania, a large island off the southern coast of the Australian mainland is cold in winter, at times seeing snow to sea level.
The echidna is small, solitary and slow moving, making it an easy target for photography.
It is not, however, an easy target for predators. Its spikes and claws offering some effective defense strategies.
I was once on the road from Westerway to Tyenna when I saw a white VW Combi parked by the side of the road with an agitated hippy pacing up and down.
As I approached, I noticed a brown lump in the middle of the road and pulled over. It was an echidna. The hippy was very distressed it would be run over.
I’ve tried but I…
