More on Echidnas.

In an earlier article, Looking for a snake, expecting to find a Lizard, but finding an … ? I wrote about an Echidna the dogs discovered near my Mum’s house. In response to that item, I received the following reply from a friend in America.

“Hi, y'all... The story of the Echidna really got me interested. We do not have them. They appear on the web to be very interesting little critters. I looked it up and found things I'm sure you already know...Such as they only have one baby at a time, and it is born blind and hairless. The little Puggle is hatched from an egg in only 10 days. As an American, it looks like a mixture of a porcupine and an anteater (American animals).They have sharp claws but no teeth, so BE CAREFUL, Walter. At least they are as afraid of you as you can be of them.”

A few obvious thoughts flowed from my friend’s response.

1. The Echidna is an interesting and Unique Australian animal, along with the Platypus. If memory serves me correct, they (the Echidna and the Platypus) are the only two egg laying mammals in the world. (Look up the word Monotreme, in your Dictionary.)
2. The Echidna is not a huge animal/critter. On average they are fairly small. Around a foot long, and 6 inches high and around 9 inches wide roughly. I have seen bigger and smaller.
3. Normally they are not aggressive critters either, unless attacked. Nor are they fast movers above ground, but as I have seen, boy, can they dig fast! Digging themselves into the ground and out of sight, usually under something like a stump or in our most recent case, the old tank, gives them extra protection. Otherwise if caught out in the open, they curl up into a protective ball. Again for protection, not aggression.
4. As stated in my last article, although not often observed, they are not overly rare around the old family home and I have long been taught that if I leave them alone, they will leave me alone. A rule I have always followed. One look at the spines is enough to discourage closer observation, particularly that done by holding in bare hands.

I did have a few other thoughts inspired by my friend’s letter that were not so obvious.

1. There are a lot of things that are so common to us that we tend to take them for granted as being well known when, like the Echidna, that are just not known in other places, particularly overseas.

2. I may be accused of vanity here and over stating the point, but as my friend is an octogenarian and has never heard of an Echidna, there was a very good chance that she may never have either, if I had not taken the trouble to write and send my story.

3. Even then, she had the choice of dismissing my information or taking it further by doing her own research, which she did.

4. She then shared her new information back with me. In this we both encouraged and enriched each other’s knowledge and experiences.

So now I have a few questions for you in regard to receiving and passing on new information.

· So do you take the trouble to fully explain yourself where necessary or like I did, do you just assume that everyone knows what you are talking about?

· Do you share with others “New” things or keep them to yourself?

· Do you in turn follow up on these new things you learn, or are you content, or lazy enough, to rely on what you have received from others?

· Do you share to inform, or to show off your so-called knowledge? I try, not necessarily to inform, although I do hope that happens, but to encourage, even enthuse others with what I come across in everyday life..

That last thought is the whole reason I write these stories and have put out this blog site: To encourage others and in turn to be encouraged by them/you.

Is it working for you? It is for me! Thanks: Walter.