Australian zoo celebrates rare birth of echidna "puggles"

Sydney's Taronga Zoo has welcomed the birth of two baby echidnas, marking just the second time in 30 years that the unusual native Australian mammals have been successfully bred at the zoo.Echidnas, which grow to about 5-6 kilograms in weight, have sharp spines covering their short stocky bodies and are one of only two egg-laying mammals in the world, the other being the platypus."They're like a giant hedgehog," explained Brett Finlayson, a senior keeper at the zoo, told Kyodo News in an interview on Friday.Finlayson said the birth of the two "puggles" -- as young echidnas are called -- is …READ FULL ARTICLE