The goddess Ekhidna [mythology’s she viper] was half nymph, half snake, mother of all monsters and defender of vineyards. Our Ekhidna [Australia’s great nose echidna] is a truly remarkable creature; a spiny anteater with a hedgehog’s spikes, a kookaburra’s beak, a kangaroo’s pouch, a platypus’s feet, an elephant’s lifespan, and a great nose.