Echidnas In The Bush

[den]

Echidnas In The Bush
Originally uploaded by battyden.

Photos of Fips and his first taste of real termites.


All photos by Robin Taylor

Echidnas In The Bush


Termite Rampage




Fips using his long hind claw to scratch between the spines.

Comments

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

ah! that is so cool! are the white things his spines? is the rest of him just furry? is it coarse or soft?

also, was wondering, what's the backstory on this guy? i don't think I added you until after you had him for a bit.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

The white tips are the colours of the spines. The spines are modified hairs, and below them is a thick later of soft black fur.

I got him before he'd developed spines. He was dug out of his burrow by an excavator at a new housing development.

[chaosrah.livejournal.com]

Yes, I knew spines were modified hairs. Was just wondering if the white ones were indeed them. They dug him out as a baby? I wonder if he had siblings, and what happened to the parents. Echidnas lay eggs, right?

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

They're monotremes like Platypuses, but they only ever have one at a time., So, no siblings and the mother would have abandoned the nest immediately.