So I know this guy online.

He's a very nice Australian gentlemen, and he rehabilitates wildlife, which is a tough and thankless job, particularly in a land where everything is poisonous, savage, or Steve Irwin. It's not a job that I could possibly do, so I enjoy vicariously his reports. Bats are his specialty, but he does a lot of native birds, too. But probably his most charming rehabs are the Rampaging Puggles--better known as baby echidnas. (A baby monotreme--echidnas or platypi--is known as a "puggle." This is possibly one of the cutest words in existence.)

One day, he was talking about feeding the puggle, and I asked if they made "I Can't Believe It's Not Echidna Milk" formula, or if he had to make his own. Apparently they do not make ICBINEM over the counter, and so he has to make it himself, using marsupial milk formula, mixed with cream and oil. (When they get older, he has to make "I Can't Believe It's Not Termites" out of mealworms. This is not a job for the faint of heart.)

This struck me as a grave oversight on the part of the market, and while I am not in a position to manufacture echidna formula, alas, (nor can I see setting up echidna milking in any quantity, as they don't actually have nipples, but effectively sweat the milk through bare patches of skin. Also, only echidnas can tell their genders apart.) I can at least generate a label! So this one's for Den and hours of enjoyment reading about his charges. And also an excuse to draw echidnas and platypi in diapers.

You can visit Den's website at [link]

Prints of this image are available for $10 and $20, plus shipping. Baffle visitors! Send a note or visit [link]