This is interesting

[den]

According to Dr Peggy Rismiller's book, the mother echidna weans the young one by opening the burrow, giving the puggle one last feed, then abandoning it. The young echidna has to feed, protect, and establish a home range with no parental guidance at all. So when it is time for Fips to go, in about 2 months, I take him to a patch of bush, put him down, and that's it. Absolutely no parental care. 7 months and that's it, regardless of size.

In the past we would spend months training the echidnas in cages, getting them "used to outside" and getting the taste of termites. If the wild echidnas don't do this, then there is no point me doing it.

Hmm. Something to ponder.

Comments

[hespa.livejournal.com]

Huh. Interesting.

I suspect a lot of carers will find that hard to swallow ("You mean I have to just abandon him??").

Makes me think of Little Penguins - they spend their whole chick-hood in and around burrows, sometimes a long way inland, and one day the chicks just head out to sea and start looking after themselves, without even having seen a live fish before. Nature 1, Nurture 0.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

*ahem*

Just because that's what happens in the wild, does not mean that it's the most optimal way of doing it...
evolution is an ongoing process and is by no means perfect.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Without an actual study of puggles raised and released in the two different ways, you won't know which method will yield a better survival rate.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

I think we'll stick with past practices and give him a couple of months in an outside cage. I know that *appears* to work. Releases won't change until someone publishes an echidna release guide.

[i-harobed.livejournal.com]

Some thoughts: Maybe the abandonment causes chemical changes in the brain (due to hunger/discomfort?) that trigger instinctual behaviors, such as termite hunting. Also, the mother is undoubtedly responding to triggers indicating that the young echidna is ready to be on its own.

If you do decide to simply take Fips to "to a patch of bush," perhaps it would be best to make sure it's one that's been inhabited by other echidna. Since the puggle is abandoned at the burrow, I imagine that the surrounding area would have evidence of the mother’s activities in the area (scent marks, digging marks, etc.). It might be that the young echidna uses this information in its initial forays, locating termites, etc.

As you say, something to ponder.

[weyrdbird.livejournal.com]

If someone dropped Dr. Rismiller in a far remote area with only water, a survival knife and a set of combat fatigues, could she do it?
I suspect most young echidnas when abandoned are likely to encounter others of thier species including similar youngsters too. I don't think knowing what food looks like and where to find it is a bad thing for Fips to know. From what I understand an echidna will also eat ants and any small fry it can zot! with its tongue.Which can help cut back the pests.

[ngarewyrd.livejournal.com]

hmmm, about that idea, I'd say, willing to bet your life on it?

or rather, Willing to bet Fips'?

somehow, I'm a bit sceptical that the parents just _abandon_ their children at X months of age _without_ any life skills

Re: ringtones

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Where's my can of Die You Filthy Spamming Bastards?