What is a 'puggle?'

[den]

What annoys me a lot is that people here in Aus insist on calling echidnas 'porcupines.' It really bugs me.

baby echidnas are called 'puggles.' Not many people know this.

This is a puggle:

His name is Fluffy, and he was raised by some friends of mine who also rescue animals.

Fluffy, fully grown.

Comments

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

That is such a cute baby. Weird looking but cute. I never saw a puggle before.... :)

I've always called them echidnas

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

But I think I would have called the puggle a "baby echidna."

I've also heard them called "spiny anteater" but I know they just share an ecological niche with anteaters (like old world vultures and new world vultures to, though they're not very related) and are not closely related to anteaters at all.

It's interesting -- you use the word "fluffy" to mean "covered with prickles" ;)

Mary, who has lived near where echidnas live

Re: I've always called them echidnas

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

I think 'spiny anteater' is a lot better than porcupine or hedgehog. They actually eat termites.

I can understand people thinking an antechinus was a mouse, but confusing echidnas with hedgehogs and porcupines?

sheesh.

They should get away from their American TV and go for a walk in the bush.

Fluffy wasn't named by me. Although, if I had raised an echidna then 'Fluffy' is the sort of name I'd think up 8)

[dwaggie.livejournal.com]

-I- think it looks like a little baby elephant without its ears.

[weyrdbird.livejournal.com]

I didn't know they were called puggles!

Spiny Eatanter, indeed:)! Yet another useful creature misnamed and maligned by man. No wonder we get a leg full of quills! At first I thought it was a platypus because of the snout, but the other pictures quickly did in that illusion.