Behold the puggle, a linguistic masterpiece! I mean, can you think of a better word for this roly poly ball of squee? Well maybe, but chances are you’ve never seen something so perfectly puggly. That’s because this tiny marsupial is on the wrong side of the pouch. A few weeks ago, the 40-day-old echidna was found on a hiking trail in Australia after prematurely leaving the safety of its mama’s marsupium a.k.a. puggle pouch.

Why “Beau” sprung out two weeks early is a mystery, as is what sex this short-beaked echidna is -- making me wonder if the name Beau (which means male suitor) was a wise choice. But with all the care the Taronga Zoo has given the puggle, I think we can look past the potential misnomer. They can’t all be linguistic masterpieces …

Echidnas are mammals, but like their fellow monotreme the duck-billed platypus, they lay eggs instead of giving birth. Their mothers also produce milk through glands on their skin instead of teats. So if you've got a thing for animals with baby bottles (and who doesn't?), you're out of luck.

And don't hold out hope that the monotreme will start suckling the eye dropper ... it's not going to happen.

But fear not! The puggle does not disappoint. Just watch:

Told ya so ... and whew, that looks crazy ticklish. One day, Beau's snout will be great for slurping up ants and termites, too.

In Greek mythology, the echidna is a beast that is half-woman, half-snake and blamed for being the "mother of all monsters." That hardly describes our little friend here. Again, "puggle" is much more suitable.

But as you can see, as the puggle matures, it will lose some snuggleness and grow into another apt nickname, the spiny anteater.

Meet Twigga, the echidna Taronga Zoo rescued last year. As a puggle, she went by Twiggy, named after the famous female model. When zookeepers later realized Twiggy was a he, Twiggy became Twigga.

Here's hoping they have better luck with "Beau." (Some folks never learn.)

Images: Ben Gibson and Lorinda Taylor