Cruise on down to the local for a drink

[Blr243]

https://youtu.be/3lqxCGULs6M

[Wm.Traynor]

Wm.Traynor ( biting his lip) I will not be the first to ask, "What is THAT?"

[Stix]

Looks like an Echidna to me Wm...

[Wm.Traynor]

Looks like an Echidna to me Wm...

Took the words right outta my mouth, Stix
Have never seen them walking; only when they were burrowing or all bristled-up in defence mode.
Funny little critters aren't they

Thank you Stix I did not trust myself to venture an opinion

[StraightWhiteMale]

To violent for my liking.

[GQshayne]

Funny little guys. I have them here at home. I like to see them about.

BLR, judging by your video, I think that particular animal is the Short Beaked Echidna.

[Stix]

Took the words right outta my mouth, Stix
Have never seen them walking; only when they were burrowing or all bristled-up in defence mode.
Funny little critters aren't they

Thank you Stix I did not trust myself to venture an opinion

Ahh crikey you got nothing to be red faced about Wm.. ....if you havent seen them & dont know, you havent seen them & dont know...

I was sitting on the loo at a place i shoot after a late one spotlighting...first time on that property...you could say the morning movement came early...
Anyway, its dark & im in the outhouse that hasnt seen a human for some months so you can imagine the scene--i cant see a bloody thing & am squatted in all my glory...
Next i hear what sounds like the walls being ripped off the shed directly adjacent the outhouse where im squatted...
I cant move...you know...because im mid movement...
I cannot for the life of me place what this horrendous sound is that is echoing throught the property & coming only metres from where i am so vulnerably seated......im actually scared...real scared...!!!...--out there all alone, & dont want to turn on the headlamp in case it gives my location away to the viciously armed boogie men, that are clearly there to kill me, & that i havent been scared of for decades now...

Eventually it stops...

Im fully recovered .

I tippy toe into the shed...& its the biggest bloody echidna ive ever seen--mustve been the sixe of a soccer ball, tucked up having a rest from the cold air...

He had somehow squeezed himself through the hole cot for the pipe from the water pump that feeds the pan i just filled...LMAO...

Ive got pics somewhere...when i was taking the pics, he got all shy & turned away so couldnt see his face...he figured if he couldnt see me, that i couldnt see him...

[Potatoes]

Echidnas are a cool animal hey. I remember finding one in the backyard when i was a teenager and taking it inside to wake my youngest sister. You can pick them up by the back feet. Also its well documented that they are a highly intelligent for a critter.

[Blr243]

SHORT BEAKED ECHIDNA. Now that’s amazing. I never given it any thought so I googled it and it said there’s 4 different ones here ......I just thought those dudes were all the same I guess that’s an assumption that can be made when we see bugger all of them and never really ever get to know too much about them ......I think anyone still calling them porcupines need to be slapped or need to get out in the bush more often .... I guess that because they move so slow they must stay relatively close to water .... that’s the first time I’ve seen them drinking , in the last few months I saw more than I usually do ... they wandered down to the edge and drank just like any other animal does

[Oldbloke]

Little cutties. I see one most trips. Saw one just yesterday. So a few about. They actually go through a type of hybination in winter and in spring move around a lot. Looking for a feed I assume.
Funniest thing. About 3 months ago in the evening (hot day) while sitting over a water point an echidna wandered up to the dam and entered the water. Then for about 5 minutes proceeded to splash around in the shallows. Then just waddled off. Lol

[GQshayne]

https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/echidna

Some info on the species. This is correct as far as I know. Hence my bold prediction that it was a Short Beaked Echidna.

They are very strong too. I found one inside so chucked him in a milk crate to relocate the next morning. On top of the milk crate was a piece of plywood, and six house bricks. In the morning it was gone.

[Blr243]

Gq shayne. I m glad u posted the link with the extra info about the echidnas. I was particularly intrigued with the info about them swimming semi submerged with their snouts raised like snorkels. and old bloke I think you were very lucky to see one having a splash. There are videos online of them swimming in water and on the beach it’s amuseing ...... so next time I see one wander down to the waters edge I’m going to put him in the drink

[Stix]

Lol...dont terrorise them BLR...

[Stix]

This little fella was waddling across a paddock so i went to have a chat with him...but he didnt want to know me...
Talk about having your head in the sand...

2020-02-28 22.09.49.jpg (321.36 KiB) Viewed 2603 times

Straight after seeing him i shot a fox that came from where he was, so i might have saved his life..
.
And another one on my way out to a shooting trip...

2020-02-28 22.22.08.jpg (376.33 KiB) Viewed 2603 times

They're funny little creatures...and its always a treat to see them i rekon...
Shame dont see more of them along with other species of natives...

[Blr243]

I just saw another vid I think it may have been national geographic on how the echidna deals with bushfire , can’t run so digs in , and keeps digging in the dirt until completely covered, Slips into a type of hibernation so it can survive on minimal oxygen under the ground ....... then once the fire has past it can re emerge