Ant mega-colony taking over the world?

We better not ant-agonize them!

No matter what, the sky is NOT falling.

Who would a thunk?

I'ma get me an armadillo pet.

This fellow is our front line defense.

That's an ECHIDNA! What a cutie. Thought at first it was a wombat--what do I know of the strange world of Oz biology?--but no it's an echidna--very efficient they are too/ Is that a long-beaked or short-beaked one, dp?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/science/09angi.html

There's a somewhat scary classic science fiction book from the 50s called "City" by Clifford Simak, in which ant colonies develop intelligence and an industrial civilization and eventually take over the world. Seemed like it was just fiction for fifty years--maybe it's not. Click below for a wiki summary of the story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_(Clifford_D._Simak_novel)

Sorry, it didn't do the link right. Try
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_(Clifford_D._Simak_novel)

Well, it didn't do it right that time either. The software seems to not convert anything after the "City" to part of the link, which means you just get a wikipedia article on cities. I guess you have to copy-and-paste it into the address box to get to it, if you're interested. Sorry 'bout that.

If you get the same results as I did when you google "echidna" , there's a really cute picture of one of them trying to figure out just what in the hell a digital SLR camera is.

Wombat? -

Thats a short beaked echidna Jack, long beaked echidnas are only rarely seen, I think they prefer northern Aust.
When threatened they dig straight down into the soil until the only part showing is the spiny back. VERY strong digging claws but otherwise harmless unless you get a handful of spines.