Backyard echidna!

[highlyeccentric]

I photographed this handsome fellow back in October, at my parents' place, Dad having summoned my little sister to see him, and I not intending to pass up the opportunity. Only got around to organising those photos recently, though.

Comments

[yourlibrarian]

How neat!

[rydra_wong]

Echidna!!! \o/

[shirebound]

Oh my, how interesting! I've never seen one of those before.

[highlyeccentric]

This is the first time in my memory I've seen one in full sunlight. They have such rich brown tones!

I know I saw one in full sunlight as a kid, because family legend says I tried to cuddle it.

[badly_knitted]

How wonderful!

[thenewbuzwuzz]

Wow!

[pameladean]

Oh wow! Fretful non-porpentine! (Actually doesn't look fretful, very sleek.)

P.

[highlyeccentric]

He wasn't sure about being photographed by two humans from different angles and danced around by a ten year old, but pretty chill for a small creature.

[pameladean]

I expect being so spiny helps with the chill a bit. P.

[highlyeccentric]

They don't normally follow that logic! Much shier than porcupines, I believe (having never seen a porcupine)

[pensnest]

What a super picture. The echidna's colours are amazing.

[highlyeccentric]

It's pretty rare to see one right in full sunlight and get all those colours!

[rdm]

That is so cool! Seeing one so close to habitations is really unusual.

[highlyeccentric]

My parents are up in the bush, scrub on three sides, so I'm used to seeing them off to the side of the track when walking home. It seems like they're getting more wildlife activity actually in the yard in the past decade or so than when I was a kid - not sure what changed.

[tozka]

I love him and want to keep him in my pocket!

[leecetheartist]

You would need a big pocket! When they're rolled up they're a spiny basketball sized ball of nope.

[sparowe]

When they're rolled up they're a spiny basketball sized ball of nope.

This is the greatest thing I have read all morning. :)

[leecetheartist]

Very cool. In the Western Shield Camera Watch project which is a citizen science program in South west W.A, (Western Australia for all those Washington people who might be confused) echidnas feature quite regularly, but they all seem very shy of the cameras and often hide their faces.

This is a terrific photo, thank you very much for sharing.

[highlyeccentric]

He was being photographed by two people and didn't know where to hide!

[loligo]

Oh, so lovely!

[iddewes]

Oh wow! There are such cool animals in Australia. 😊

[earthspirits]

He is such a cool little guy!

[ironed_orchid]

You got to see its snout!

Every time I've seen an echidna it has noticed us and promptly hidden its face in the nearest pile of leaves or clump of grass.