Joyce Halpern, age 13,, of Los Angeles,
What is an echidna?
"An echidna? That reminds me" said the absent‑minded zoo keeper. He must feed the pangolin and look in on the platypus." The echidna is all fur and prickles, the pangolin looks like an overgrown pine cone. They do not resemble each other, nor are they related. But both need the same diet, for both are anteaters, The platypus is first cousin to the echidna, though he feeds on snails, grubs and such.
These two cousins with strange names are natives of Australia and nearby islands, A big echidna looks like a fat 20‑inch tube of fur with a bitsy tail and thin, spiky nose, But don't be fooled: There are sharp spines hidden among that dark fur.. Australians call him a porcupine, though he is no relative to our Mr. Prickles:
The echidna's family name is Tachyglossidae, which means the agile tongued ones, He uses his long, think tongue to gather ant eggs and larvae. When resting his four dumpy legs are hidden under his chubby body. He puts them to good use on an ant hill. For his feet are strong spades and he can tear the ants castle apart in a minute.
The strange fellow is very shy and no fighter. When threatened, he digs himself underground very fast. He goes down back feet first in a horizontal position. It’s no use trying to dig him out. He can burrow too fast.
In spite of his shyness, the echidna makes 4n adorable pet. When captured, he makes friends with you in a few days. You can carry him about slung over your arm. He loves this way of traveling and won’t stick you with his prickles. He will soon learn to follow you around. If you sit outdoors, he will bask in the sun beside you.
Food for the pet echidna is a problem. He likes to forage for his own. If you place him near an ant hill he will go to work for himself. He likes the larvae ants best and flicks dozens of them into his mouth at a time. Then he uses his tongue to crush them on the roof of his mouth. For he has no teeth.
Mrs. Echidna is one of rare egg‑laying mammals. Her one egg is about the size of a sparrow's egg. It is soft‑skinned like a reptile egg. She hatches it in a pouch of skin: Yes, she is a marsupial:
The egg hatches in a few days. Junior stays in the pouch until he is about three inches long, By then his prickles are uncomfortable to Mama She casts him out, but he stays with her to learn proper echidna manners.
The echidna and his cousin the platypus are considered the most primative of the mammals. In some respects they are closer to the reptiles than to the mammals. The strange creatures form a sort of missing link between the reptile and mammal kingdoms, yet they rate as mammals.