Looking for a snake, expecting to find a Lizard, but finding an ?

If you have read my “Snappy Dogs and Blue Tongue Lizards” article, you will know that I regularly take our Children’s’ dogs with us when we visit my mother. Also you will know that when we go there, they occasionally stir up a Lizard or two which are harmless and encouraged, because my Mum believes they keep snakes away. You will also know that when the dogs bail up a Lizard they bark like mad and I always go and check, just in case they do actually put up a snake.

The other day we were up there and I was down at the woodheap when they started barking and I went up just to check. As the Title of this article suggests, looking for a snake, expecting to find another Blue Tongue Lizard, but initially finding nothing.

However I did notice a pot plant lying on its side by a cut down tank, now converted to an above ground veggie plot. At first I thought that one of the dogs, George must have knocked it over using it as a stepping stone to jump up on the Tank veggie patch, as he has done more than once before. So bending down I put my hand out to pick up the pot and suddenly jumped back as I saw what had knocked the pot over.

At first I didn’t know what it was, which is what frightened me. However I quickly identified the cause of the disturbance. It was not the dog. It was not a Snake. It was not even a Lizard. I kid you not, it was an Echidna. (Pronounced “Ee-kid-nah) Now an Echidna in itself, although spiny when aroused, was not necessarily dangerous to me, it was just so totally unexpected that I involuntarily jumped back. When I realised what it was and that it was not rolled up into a spiky ball I realised that it was not dangerous to the dogs or me if I left it alone. So I did. Also much to my surprise so did the dogs. When they found that the Echidna did nothing but try to dig itself deeper, they too left it alone.

Thinking of this later I realised that I was initially surprised, even scared of this unexpected turn of events only because I didn’t initially know what it was, nor was I even remotely expecting it. But once I knew what it was and that it proposed no danger to me or mine I was no longer afraid or even bothered by its presence and after examining it a bit, I left it alone and neither of us bothered the other, although we both remained in the same area for another 3 or 4 hours. I did however go and tell my wife and Mother about its presence so close to the house.

How often is this true of many situations in our lives? How often have we been frightened of the unexpected and the suddenness of events? But once known and assessed are no longer a concern for or to us.

How many times do we also stir up trouble for ourselves, like I or the dogs could have if we continued to annoy or bother the Echidna? Echidnas are Australia’s version of a hedge hog and commonly called Spiny Ant Eaters, as they both eat ants and ball themselves up into a spiky spiny ball when attacked.

Although this was the first I have seen so close to the house, (but the second sighting of this one,) they are not that rare in the bush, although not always so obvious in daylight. In fact I have seen at least 4 in the past couple of months. Obviously the ongoing drought has driven him to come closer to civilization during the day.

Again this is also often seen in our every day lives. Sometimes situations change and like the above mentioned Echidna, we also have to make temporary changes to our normal routine. This can also put us into new and strange and frightening situations.

The big question is how are we going to react? Are we going to be aggressive and attack everything new, strange, or unexpected? Are we going to curl up in a defensive ball? Both are equally negative results or reactions!

Or like me eventually, are you going to asses the currant situation, and when found not to be a danger or problem leave these non problems alone; and like this Echidna, just get on with the job at hand. In his/her case digging for ants.

Now I am not suggesting you give up what you are doing and start digging for ants, but simply to assess each and every situation, as it arrises, rather than attacking every thing new or unexpected, and simply get on with your life. More in another article: Walter