This is Julie the echidna, whose image comes from a website on Australia. Echidnas (also known as spiny anteaters) are one of the two remaining species of monotremes, or egg-laying mammals. Since we humans are mammals, too, they're distantly related to us. But their mating equipment & practices do differ a bit. Here's how:
Let's say that Julie (our representative female) comes into estrus (i.e., is fertile.) Sensing that she might be willing to mate, male echidnas begin following her day and night. Although the male echidna's four-headed penis suggests some degree of machismo, they're actually shy, gentle little critters. So they pursue Julie by politely lining up in what's known as a "queue" & the queue stays in formation as it follows Julie while she forages and sleeps. Up to 10 males may take their places behind Julie -- and here's the interesting point about sexual selection. It's not necessarily the biggest & spiniest guy that is Julie's chosen mate. In fact, it may come down to which male is still awake when the moment of opportunity presents itself.
Echidnas' appearance also masks their cognitive abilities. According to Australian biologist Peggy Rissmiller, the little creatures' rolling waddle, small beaks & tiny eyes give them a gnome-like air. But they're powerful diggers who can disappear through wooden garage doors or burrow through the bottom of a plastic storage bin. These capabilities make them formidable escape artists. A group of researchers at the University of Melbourne were surprised to discover that their captive echidnas had sprung themselves from a pen with corrugated-iron walls. It seems that they hadn't had to scratch through the iron. Rather, the echidnas' drinking bowls were found stacked in a corner, apparently serving as a ladder to freedom.
