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Porcupine

A Porcupine is a rodent. The Latin name of a Porcupine means “quill pig”. They are an herbivore that eats leaves, herbs, twigs, and small plants. In the winter it may eat bark. The North American Porcupine will climb trees to forage for food. They use their large front teeth to feed. Their teeth will continue to grow throughout their lives. They are solitary animals.

This species of animal is most noted for it “quills” or spines. The quills of a porcupine are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin, and they are embedded in the skin musculature. Quills are released by coming in contact with them. They can drop out of the porcupine when they shake the body but cannot be projected at attackers. When quills are released from a porcupine they will grown new ones as replacements. The quills normally are flat until this animal is threatened, then they raise them as a deterrent. A single one of these animals may have up to 30,000 quills. Animals that encounter the porcupine can often come away with a mouthful of quills.

Porcupines can live in most any environment, they can be found in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops and hillsides. They can be seen during the day but are generally nocturnal and will rest during the day. They are normally 25 to 40 inches long and may weigh from 10 to 40 pounds. The porcupine’s feet have 4 toes on the forefeet and 5 on the rear feet. All of their toes have long, curved claws. They also have small, textured knobby pads on the bottom of the feet.

The North American Porcupine is the only species found in the United States and Canada. It is the largest of all species of Porcupine.

The porcupine is a fascinating animal that can sometimes be encountered in the wild.