The Echidna Puggle is proof that nature has a sense of humor...

Beau over to the left there is an orphan. Which is sad. 🙁

But he is a Echinda Puggle, which is awesome! 🙂

Nature has outdone itself with this adorably strange little animal You might not recognize the name Echidna Puggle, but you probably will recognize this creature’s other name…spiny ant eater.

Puggles are mammals just like us….but they lay eggs. You know…’cause nature likes to keep us on our toes and guessing.

And if you think this little guy kinda resembles a platypus well then you get a prize for being a smarty pants because the are kissing cousins. Platypus belong to the same family Tachyglossidae. Echidna and playtpus are the ONLY egg laying mammals in existence, which, of course, makes them even more awesome.

When he grows up Beau will kinda sorta resemble a hedgehog or porcupine.

Beau’s human buddies at the Taronga zoo theorize that somehow the little guy fell out of mom’s pouch and that’s how he ended up sitting all alone on a hiking trail until some kind folks found him. I’m just glad he was found by some nice people and not some predator looking for lunch.

Apparently the echidna is named after some mythical Greek monster. A half woman half serpent she-dragon thing. (In Greek echidna apparently means literally snake.)

But I don’t think this little boo looks anything LIKE a monster. Do you?

In fact, I just want to snuggle with this puggle. (Hey, hey now…no groaning…you KNEW I had to go there.)