The Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus), also known as the Spiny Anteater - official maxicard from Australia

Very interesting animal...

What do YOU know about it? :)

"The name Tachyglossus means "quick tongue", in reference to the speed with which the Echidna uses its tongue to catch ants and termites, and aculeatus means "spiny" or "equipped with spines".

[Strikethru typing, as element of comedic style...:) ]

So Tachyglossus is a genetic legacy. It comes from GENES, not GENE S - let's keep it simple...:)

"The Echidna's fur may be infested with what is said to be the world's largest flea, Bradiopsylla echidnae, which is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long."

Knob, knob, who's there?

"Like all monotremes, it has one orifice,^{[citation needed]} known as the cloaca, for the passage of faeces, urine and reproductive products.^[12] The male has internal testes, no external scrotum and a highly unusual penis with four knobs on the tip. The gestating female develops a pouch on its underside, where it raises its young."

" The Short-beaked Echidna has the largest prefrontal cortex relative to body size of any mammal, it shows rapid eye movement during sleep, and its brain has been shown to contain a claustrum similar to that of placental mammals, so linking this structure to their common ancestor".

I would love to find philatelic partners/friends (Papua-New Guinea? Australia? any other country?) who can trade with me maximum cards with the other 3 species of echidna, and maximum cards in general. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short-beaked_Echidna