Richard Feidler

Look out!

Here comes the slow loris.

But where does the male platypus keep this venom?

In its mouth or teeth?

Well, what does that tell you, that it's seasonally venomous?

Is there research being done with this venom, medical research being done with platypus venom?

Yeah, I was going to say, like, you know, I've lived in Australia for some time and I don't know anyone who's ever been, oh, God, I got stung by a bloody platypus the other day.

The other great monotreme in Australia is the echidna.

It's a...

Very different looking beast to the platypus, is it?

I mean, yeah, it also lays eggs and suckles its young.

Like I said, they seem to be really different creatures, the spiny anteater and the platypus.

Are they more closely related than they appear to be, Jack?

You went out to Bruny Island, Tassie, with a friend of yours to go looking for echidnas.

Tell me about that experience for you, the adventure you had at Adventure Bay in Bruny Island.

Much part of your book is about this odd disdain there is for Australia's wildlife.

It's historic, really.

You hear it from Americans, you hear it from the British, you hear it from Europeans as well.

where Australia's wildlife is seen as kind of primitive.

It's a really odd thing.