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Short-beaked Echidna on the Alice Springs Desert Park Nocturnal Tour

Get the point… Echidna

Author Koh Lin

Do you get the point… we love the Echidna.

Our first time seeing a wild Echidna was back in September 2001 when we were on holidays in Coonabarabran in New South Wales. There it was, just ambling along the side of a roadway… I can still remember the thrill I felt on seeing the Echidna.

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coonabarabran, NSW
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coonabarabran, NSW
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coonabarabran, NSW
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coonabarabran, NSW

In October 2002 we were in Coles Bay in Tasmania when we bumped into this Echidna along the dirt track…

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coles Bay, Tasmania
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coles Bay, Tasmania
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coles Bay, Tasmania
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coles Bay, Tasmania

and it was a thrill to get this close to the Echidna…

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coles Bay, Tasmania
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Coles Bay, Tasmania

November 2003, we were just driving along the road in Bermagui, New South Wales, when we spotted this Echidna ambling along the grassy verge of the road.

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Bermagui, NSW
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Bermagui, NSW

This Echidna was in the Kyabram Fauna Park in Victoria. Did you know the Echidna is a type of mammal called Monotremes.

Short-beaked Echidna, Kyabram Fauna Park, VIC
Short-beaked Echidna, Kyabram Fauna Park, VIC

Not a captive, although this Echidna knew when it was feeding time during a night tour in the Alice Springs Desert Park in the Northern Territory.

Short-beaked Echidna on the Alice Springs Desert Park Nocturnal Tour
Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) on the Alice Springs Desert Park Nocturnal Tour

This was a rescued Echidna that had been found outside of Alice Springs.

Rescued Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Alice Springs NT
Rescued Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), Alice Springs NT

and just in case you have not seen a juvenile Echidna… check this photo out 😀

Puggle - Juvenile Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
Puggle – Juvenile Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Check out other blogs by Koh Lin.