Mr (or Ms) Prickles takes a bath

Sitting by the dam is the place to be in summer, as the wildlife go there to cool off as much as we do. The best time is just as the sun is setting (probably when the sun is rising too but I give that a miss). The dragonflies are still out, the birds come down for their evening splash and sometimes, if you’re really quiet, a rakali might put in an appearance.

This week I was surprised by the appearance of Mr (or Ms) Prickles, one of our resident echidnas, ‘beetling along’ over the hill. It headed straight for the dam and didn’t stop until it was half submerged and taking a long drink (pictured left). I imagine it’s pretty dusty and thirsty work licking up ants all day.

After the cooling drink, the echidna obviously decided to extend its bathing regime and forged deeper into the dam where it spent a good ten minutes wallowing and scratching itself. We all know echidnas spend most of their time looking for their primary food source, ants and termites. They do this by breaking open logs, unearthing rocks or digging holes in the ground with their large claws. It is rare that you get to a good look at those claws because echidnas avoid threats like humans by digging themselves into the earth when approached. During the bathing session, however, the claws were on display (pictured right) as the echidna scratched in between the spikes. Washing done, it spent another ten minutes simply lolling about cooling off.

The cost of a half-hour session at the Ronlit Baths and Day Spa – nothing.

The look of bliss on the echidna’s face (pictured left) – priceless.