How do echidnas mate? Carefully of course.
So when Perth Zoo's 'Chindi' and 'Nyingarn' became the first zoo-born echidnas in the world to successfully breed in 2015, there was immense relief.
And now the pair have repeated this spiky feat, hatching a second Short-beaked echidna puggle (the proper name given to a juvenile echidna) which the Zoo has just proudly revealed to the public.
"This species is notoriously difficult to breed, so to have not just one, but two puggles from zoo-born parents; and in consecutive years is a significant achievement," said Perth Zoo Keeper, Katie Snushall.
Weighing around 1.5kg, the newest addition is the 10th echidna since 2007 to be successfully bred at Perth Zoo.
The new echidna is still growing its protective covering of spines and will stay in its nursery burrow until it's at least six months old.
Known as monotremes, echidnas and platypus are the only Australian mammals that lay eggs.
It takes about 10 days for a baby echidna to hatch from the egg. It is then carried by its mother in a temporary pouch for the first two months until its spikes start to emerge, at which point the mother constructs a nursery burrow and places the puggle safely inside, returning only every two to six days to feed it.
Perth Zoo is widely considered to be an expert in echidna breeding and is working to expand the knowledge of the species unusual egg laying.
In 2012, Perth Zoo also bred two of the world's first puggles from echidna mothers that were only four-years-old.
Until then, it was believed that female echidnas couldn't breed until five years of age.
Monitoring by Perth Zoo staff via 'burrow cams' has also provided a unique insight into echidna development and breeding behaviours in the underground burrows.
Ms Snushall said Perth Zoo's breeding insights are helping other zoos make more puggles.
"The nursery at Sydney's Taronga Zoo is modelled from our design here at Perth Zoo and they recently welcomed their first puggle in thirty years. We have also advised zoos in Europe and recently helped a zoo in Germany rear an echidna puggle."
