Porcupine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the mammal. For other uses, see Porcupine (disambiguation).
Porcupine

North American porcupine

Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Rodentia

Suborder:

Hystricomorpha

Infraorder: Hystricognathi (part)

Families
Hystricidae (Old World
porcupines)

Erethizontidae (New World

porcupines)
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against
predators. The term covers two families of animals, the Old World porcupines and New World
porcupines. Both families belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast orderRodentia, both
display similar coats of quills, but they still are quite different and are not closely related.
The Old World porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia (western[1] as well as southern), and
most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. In taxonomic terms they form the
family Hystricidae.
The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They
live in wooded areas and can climb on trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They
are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller. Intaxonomic terms
they form the family Erethizontidae.
Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most
porcupines are about 2536 in (6491 cm) long, with an 810 in (2025 cm) long tail.
[dubious discuss]
Weighing 1235 lb (5.415.9 kg), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come
in various shades of brown, gray, and the unusual white. Porcupines' spiny protection resembles
that of the unrelatederinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian spiny anteaters
or monotreme echidnas.
Contents

1 Etymology

2 Evolution

3 Species

4 Quills

5 Uses

6 Habitat

7 Classification

8 See also

9 References

10 External links

Etymology[edit]
The name porcupine comes from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, quill, via Old Italian - Middle
French - Middle English.[2] A regional American name for the animal is quill pig.[3] Similarly, the
German name, Stachelschwein, means "thorn-swine".

Evolution[edit]

Fossils belonging to the Hystrix genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.[4]

Species[edit]
Old World porcupine

Taxonomy
A porcupine is any of 29 species of rodent belonging to the
families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Sphiggurus, Erethizo
n,Echinoprocta, and Chaetomys)
or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys).
Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's
Porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram
(2.2 lb); the Crested porcupine found in Italy, Sicily, North
Africa and sub-Saharan Africa can grow to well over 27 kg
(60 lb). The two families of porcupines are quite different, and
although both belong to theHystricognathi branch of the vast
order Rodentia, they are not closely related.
Old World compared to New World species
The eleven Old World porcupines tend to be fairly big, and
have spikes that are grouped in clusters.
The two subfamilies of New World porcupines are mostly
smaller (although the North American Porcupine reaches
about 85 cm or 33 in in length and 18 kg or 40 lb), have their
quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and
are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees.
The New World porcupines evolved their spines
independently (through convergent evolution) and are more
closely related to several other families of rodent than they
are to the Old World porcupines.
Longevity
Porcupines have a relatively high longevity and had
held the record for being the longest-living rodent,[5] until
it was recently broken by the naked mole-rat.[6]
Food
The North American porcupine is a herbivore. It
eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants
like clover. In the winter it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food.[7]
The African porcupine is not a climber and forages
on the ground.[7] It is mostly nocturnal,[8] but will
sometimes forage for food in the day. Porcupines
have become a pest inKenya and are eaten as a
delicacy.[9]

Quills[edit]

Quills come in varying lengths and colors, depending on

the animal's age and species.

Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms,

depending on the species, but all are modified hairs
coated with thick plates ofkeratin,[10] and embedded
in the skin musculature. Old World porcupines
(Hystricidae) have quills embedded in clusters,
whereas in New World porcupines (Erethizontidae),
single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur
and hair.
Quills are released by contact with them or may
drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New
quills grow to replace lost ones.[10] It was long
believed that Porcupines had the ability to project
their quills to a considerable distance at an enemy,
but this has since been proven to be untrue.[11][12]

Uses[edit]

Porcupine guardhair headdress made by native

peoples from Sonoradisplayed at the Museo de Arte
Popularin Mexico City.

Porcupines are only occasionally eaten in western

culture, but are very popular in Southeast Asia,
particularly Vietnam, where the prominent use of
them as a food source has contributed to significant
declines in their populations.[13][14][15] As mentioned, in
Kenya porcupines are eaten as a delicacy.[9]
More commonly, their quills and guardhairs are
used for traditional decorative clothing. For
example, their guardhairs are used in the creation
of the Native American "porky roach" headdress.

The main quills may be dyed, and then applied in

combination with thread to embellish leather
accessories such as knife sheaths and leather
bags. Lakota women would harvest the quills
for quillwork by throwing a blanket over a porcupine
and retrieving the quills it left stuck in the blanket. [16]
Porcupine quills have recently inspired a new type
of hypodermic needle. Thanks to backward-facing
barbs on the quills, when used as needles, they are
particularly good at two things penetrating the skin
and remaining in place.[17] The presence of barbs
acting like anchors makes it more painful to remove
a quill that has struck into the skin of predator.[10]

Habitat[edit]

A pair of North American porcupines in their habitat

in Quebec

Porcupines occupy a short range of habitats in

tropical and temperate parts of Asia, Southern
Europe, Africa, and North and South America.
Porcupines live in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops
and hillsides. Some New World porcupines live in
trees, but Old World porcupines stay on the rocks.
Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to
3,700 m (12,100 ft) high. Porcupines are generally
nocturnal but are occasionally active during
daylight.

Hunting Porcupine near the town of Cassem, The

Book of Wonders by Marco Polo (first book),
illumination stored at the French national library
(manuscript 2810)

Classification[edit]

A North American porcupine

North American porcupine eating grass and clover

Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionary

independent groups of the order Rodentia,
suborderHystricomorpha.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Infraorder Hystricognathi

Family Hystricidae: Old World

porcupines

African brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus africanus

Asiatic brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus macrourus

Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata

Cape porcupine, Hystrix

africaeaustralis

Indian porcupine, Hystrix indicus

Malayan porcupine, Hystrix brachyura

Himalayan porcupine, Hystrix

(brachyura) hodgsoni

Sunda porcupine, Hystrix javanica

Sumatran porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) sumatrae

Bornean porcupine, Hystrix (Thecurus)

crassispinis

Philippine porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) pumilis

Long-tailed porcupine, Trichys

fasciculata

Parvorder Phiomorpha sensu stricto

Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats

Family Petromuridae: Dassie rats

Family Bathyergidae: African mole-rats

Parvorder Caviomorpha

Superfamily Erethizontoidea

Family Erethizontidae: New

World porcupines

Brazilian porcupine, Coendou

prehensilis

Bicolored-spined
porcupine, Coendou bicolor

Andean porcupine, Coendou

quichua

Black dwarf (Koopman's)

porcupine, Coendou
nycthemera (koopmani)

Rothschild's
porcupine, Coendou rothschildi

Santa Marta
porcupine, Coendou
sanctemartae

Mexican hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
mexicanus

Paraguaian hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
spinosus

Bahia porcupine, Sphiggurus

insidiosus

Brown hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus vestitus

Orange-spined hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus

Streaked dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus ichillus

Black-tailed hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
melanurus

Roosmalen's dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus
roosmalenorum

Frosted hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
pruinosus

North American
porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Stump-tailed
porcupine, Echinoprocta
rufescens

Bristle-spined
porcupine, Chaetomys
subspinosus (sometimes
considered an echimyid)

Superfamily Cavioidea

Family Hydrochaeridae: capybara

Family Caviidae: Guinea-pigs

Family Dasyproctidae: agoutis and

acouchis

Superfamily Octodontoidea

Family Abrocomidae: chinchillarats

Family Octodontidae: degus

Family Ctenomyidae: tuco-tucos

Family Echimyidae: spiny rats

Family Myocastoridae: nutrias

Family Capromyidae: hutias

Superfamily Chinchilloidea

Family Chinchillidae: chinchillas

and allies

Family Dinomyidae: pacaranas

See also[edit]

New World porcupines

Old World porcupines

References[edit]
1.

^ http://biblehub.com/topical/p/porcupine.htm

2.

^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, s.v.

"porcupine" . Retrieved March 26, 2015.

3.

^ Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "quill" .

Retrieved July 20, 2010.

4.

^ Barthelmess, E.L. (2006). "Hystix

africaeaustralis". Mammalian Species (788): 1
7.doi:10.1644/788.1.

5.

^ Parker, SB (1990) Grzimek's Encyclopedia of

Mammals, vol. 4, McGraw-Hill, New York.[page needed]

6.

^ Buffenstein, Rochelle; Jarvis, Jennifer U. M.

(May 2002). "The naked mole rata new record
for the oldest living rodent". Science of aging
knowledge environment 2002 (21):
pe7. doi:10.1126/sageke.2002.21.pe7. PMID 14
602989.

7.

^ a b "Porcupines, Porcupine Pictures, Porcupine

Facts". National Geographic. Retrieved2012-0220.

8.

^ "North American porcupine Erethizon

dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)". Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County. Retrieved July
26, 2012.

9.

^ a b "Porcupines raise thorny questions in

Kenya". BBC News. August 19, 2005.
Retrieved September 21, 2009.

10. ^ a b c David Attenborough

(2014). Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 2.
Armoured Animals. UKTV.
11. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of
Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature,
Enlarged and Improved. Archibald Constable.
1823. pp. 501.
12. ^ Shepard, Thomas Goodwin (1865). The
natural history of secession. Derby & Miller.
pp. 78.
13. ^ "Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under
threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find".
Sciencedaily.com. 2010-08-25. Retrieved 201202-20.
14. ^ Brooks, Emma G.E.; Roberton, Scott I.; Bell,
Diana J. (2010). "The conservation impact of
commercial wildlife farming of porcupines in
Vietnam". Biological Conservation 143 (11):
2808. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.030.
15. ^ Ettinger, Powell (2010-08-30). "Wildlife Extra
News Illegal hunting threatens Vietnams
wild porcupines". Wildlifeextra.com.
Retrieved 2012-02-20.
16. ^ "Lakota Quillwork Art and Legend".
Retrieved 29 June 2013.
17. ^ Cho, W. K.; Ankrum, J. A.; Guo, D.; Chester,
S. A.; Yang, S. Y.; Kashyap, A.; Campbell, G. A.;
Wood, R. J.; Rijal, R. K. et al. (2012).
"Microstructured barbs on the North American
porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration
and difficult removal". Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences 109 (52):
21289. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216441109.
18. ^ Huchon D., Catzeflis F. & Douzery E. J. P.
(2000). "Variance of molecular datings, evolution
of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities
between Ctenodactylidae and
Hystricognathi". Proc. R. Soc. Lond.
B 267 (1441): 393
402.doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1014. PMC 1690539
. PMID 10722222.

19. ^ Murphy W. J., Eizirik E., Johnson W. E.,

Zhang Y. P., Ryder O. A. & O'Brien S. (2001).
"Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of
placental mammals". Nature 409 (6820): 614
618. doi:10.1038/35054550. PMID 11214319.
20. ^ Huchon D., Chevret P., Jordan U., Kilpatrick
C. W., Ranwez V., Jenkins P. D., Brosius J. &
Schmitz J. (2007). "Multiple molecular
evidences for a living mammalian fossil". Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104 (18): 7495
7499. doi:10.1073/pnas.0701289104.PMC 1863
447. PMID 17452635.
21. ^ Blanga-Kanfi S., Miranda H., Penn O., Pupko
T., DeBry R. W. & Huchon D. (2009)."Rodent
phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes
from all major rodent clades".BMC Evol. Biol. 9:
71. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-9-71. PMC 267404
8.PMID 19341461.
22. ^ Churakov G., Sadasivuni M. K., Rosenbloom
K. R., Huchon D., Brosius J. & Schmitz J.
(2010). "Rodent evolution: back to the
root". Mol. Biol. Evol. 27 (6): 1315
1326.doi:10.1093/molbev/msq019. PMID 20100
942.
23. ^ Meredith R. W., Janecka J. E., Gatesy J.,
Ryder O. A., Fisher C. A., Teeling E. C.,
Goodbla A., Eizirik E., Simao T. L., Stadler T.,
Rabosky D. L., Honeycutt R. L., Flynn J. J.,
Ingram C. M., Steiner C., Williams T. L.,
Robinson T. J., Burk-Herrick A., Westerman M.,
Ayoub N. A., Springer M. S. & Murphy W. J.
(2011). "Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial
revolution and KPg extinction on mammal
diversification". Science 334 (6055): 521
524.doi:10.1126/science.1211028. PMID 21940
861.
24. ^ Fabre P.-H., Hautier L., Dimitrov D. & Douzery
E. J. P. (2012). "A glimpse on the pattern of
rodent diversification: a phylogenetic
approach". BMC Evol. Biol. 12:
88.doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-88. PMC 353238
3. PMID 22697210.
25. ^ Upham N. S. & Patterson B. D. (2012).
"Diversification and biogeography of the
Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea
(Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Mol. Phylogenet.
Evol 63 (2): 417
429. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID 22
327013.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Hystricidae.

Wikispecies has information

related to: Hystricidae
Look up porcupine in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.
Wikiquote has quotations
related to: Porcupines

Porcupines: Wildlife summary from the African

Wildlife Foundation

"Resource Cards: What About

Porcupines?" Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory

Porcupine control in the western states hosted

by the UNT Government Documents
Department

Porcupine Tracks at the Wayback

Machine (archived October 15, 2009): How to
identify porcupine tracks in the wild
Categories:
Porcupines

Rodents

Hystricognath rodents

Body plans

Navigation menu

Create account

Log in

Read
Edit
View history
Search

Go

Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction

Article
Talk


Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page
Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version
Languages

Brezhoneg
Catal
Cymraeg
Eesti
Espaol
Esperanto
Euskara

Franais
Frysk
Gaeilge
Galego
Ido
Bahasa Indonesia
/inuktitut
Iupiak
Basa Jawa

Kiswahili

Bahasa Melayu

Nederlands
Nhiyawwin /

Portugus
Simple English

/ srpski

Tsetshesthese
Trke

Ting Vit

Edit links

This page was last modified on 12 August 2015, at 22:24.

Text is available under the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Porcupine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the mammal. For other uses, see Porcupine (disambiguation).
Porcupine

North American porcupine

Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Rodentia

Suborder:

Hystricomorpha

Infraorder: Hystricognathi (part)

Families
Hystricidae (Old World
porcupines)
Erethizontidae (New World
porcupines)
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against
predators. The term covers two families of animals, the Old World porcupines and New World
porcupines. Both families belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast orderRodentia, both
display similar coats of quills, but they still are quite different and are not closely related.

The Old World porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia (western[1] as well as southern), and
most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. In taxonomic terms they form the
family Hystricidae.
The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They
live in wooded areas and can climb on trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They
are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller. Intaxonomic terms
they form the family Erethizontidae.
Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most
porcupines are about 2536 in (6491 cm) long, with an 810 in (2025 cm) long tail.
[dubious discuss]
Weighing 1235 lb (5.415.9 kg), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come
in various shades of brown, gray, and the unusual white. Porcupines' spiny protection resembles
that of the unrelatederinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian spiny anteaters
or monotreme echidnas.
Contents

1 Etymology

2 Evolution

3 Species

4 Quills

5 Uses

6 Habitat

7 Classification

8 See also

9 References

10 External links

Etymology[edit]
The name porcupine comes from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, quill, via Old Italian - Middle
French - Middle English.[2] A regional American name for the animal is quill pig.[3] Similarly, the
German name, Stachelschwein, means "thorn-swine".

Evolution[edit]
Fossils belonging to the Hystrix genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.[4]

Species[edit]
Old World porcupine

Taxonomy
A porcupine is any of 29 species of rodent belonging to the
families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Sphiggurus, Erethizo

n,Echinoprocta, and Chaetomys)

or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys).
Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's
Porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram
(2.2 lb); the Crested porcupine found in Italy, Sicily, North
Africa and sub-Saharan Africa can grow to well over 27 kg
(60 lb). The two families of porcupines are quite different, and
although both belong to theHystricognathi branch of the vast
order Rodentia, they are not closely related.
Old World compared to New World species
The eleven Old World porcupines tend to be fairly big, and
have spikes that are grouped in clusters.
The two subfamilies of New World porcupines are mostly
smaller (although the North American Porcupine reaches
about 85 cm or 33 in in length and 18 kg or 40 lb), have their
quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and
are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees.
The New World porcupines evolved their spines
independently (through convergent evolution) and are more
closely related to several other families of rodent than they
are to the Old World porcupines.
Longevity
Porcupines have a relatively high longevity and had
held the record for being the longest-living rodent,[5] until
it was recently broken by the naked mole-rat.[6]
Food
The North American porcupine is a herbivore. It
eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants
like clover. In the winter it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food.[7]
The African porcupine is not a climber and forages
on the ground.[7] It is mostly nocturnal,[8] but will
sometimes forage for food in the day. Porcupines
have become a pest inKenya and are eaten as a
delicacy.[9]

Quills[edit]

Quills come in varying lengths and colors, depending on

the animal's age and species.

Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms,

depending on the species, but all are modified hairs
coated with thick plates ofkeratin,[10] and embedded
in the skin musculature. Old World porcupines
(Hystricidae) have quills embedded in clusters,
whereas in New World porcupines (Erethizontidae),

single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur

and hair.
Quills are released by contact with them or may
drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New
quills grow to replace lost ones.[10] It was long
believed that Porcupines had the ability to project
their quills to a considerable distance at an enemy,
but this has since been proven to be untrue.[11][12]

Uses[edit]

Porcupine guardhair headdress made by native

peoples from Sonoradisplayed at the Museo de Arte
Popularin Mexico City.

Porcupines are only occasionally eaten in western

culture, but are very popular in Southeast Asia,
particularly Vietnam, where the prominent use of
them as a food source has contributed to significant
declines in their populations.[13][14][15] As mentioned, in
Kenya porcupines are eaten as a delicacy.[9]
More commonly, their quills and guardhairs are
used for traditional decorative clothing. For
example, their guardhairs are used in the creation
of the Native American "porky roach" headdress.
The main quills may be dyed, and then applied in
combination with thread to embellish leather
accessories such as knife sheaths and leather
bags. Lakota women would harvest the quills
for quillwork by throwing a blanket over a porcupine
and retrieving the quills it left stuck in the blanket. [16]
Porcupine quills have recently inspired a new type
of hypodermic needle. Thanks to backward-facing
barbs on the quills, when used as needles, they are

particularly good at two things penetrating the skin

and remaining in place.[17] The presence of barbs
acting like anchors makes it more painful to remove
a quill that has struck into the skin of predator.[10]

Habitat[edit]

A pair of North American porcupines in their habitat

in Quebec

Porcupines occupy a short range of habitats in

tropical and temperate parts of Asia, Southern
Europe, Africa, and North and South America.
Porcupines live in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops
and hillsides. Some New World porcupines live in
trees, but Old World porcupines stay on the rocks.
Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to
3,700 m (12,100 ft) high. Porcupines are generally
nocturnal but are occasionally active during
daylight.

Hunting Porcupine near the town of Cassem, The

Book of Wonders by Marco Polo (first book),
illumination stored at the French national library
(manuscript 2810)

Classification[edit]

A North American porcupine

North American porcupine eating grass and clover

Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionary

independent groups of the order Rodentia,
suborderHystricomorpha.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Infraorder Hystricognathi

Family Hystricidae: Old World

porcupines

African brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus africanus

Asiatic brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus macrourus

Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata

Cape porcupine, Hystrix

africaeaustralis

Indian porcupine, Hystrix indicus

Malayan porcupine, Hystrix brachyura

Himalayan porcupine, Hystrix

(brachyura) hodgsoni

Sunda porcupine, Hystrix javanica

Sumatran porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) sumatrae

Bornean porcupine, Hystrix (Thecurus)

crassispinis

Philippine porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) pumilis

Long-tailed porcupine, Trichys

fasciculata

Parvorder Phiomorpha sensu stricto

Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats

Family Petromuridae: Dassie rats

Family Bathyergidae: African mole-rats

Parvorder Caviomorpha

Superfamily Erethizontoidea

Family Erethizontidae: New

World porcupines

Brazilian porcupine, Coendou

prehensilis

Bicolored-spined
porcupine, Coendou bicolor

Andean porcupine, Coendou

quichua

Black dwarf (Koopman's)

porcupine, Coendou
nycthemera (koopmani)

Rothschild's
porcupine, Coendou rothschildi

Santa Marta
porcupine, Coendou
sanctemartae

Mexican hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
mexicanus

Paraguaian hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
spinosus

Bahia porcupine, Sphiggurus

insidiosus

Brown hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus vestitus

Orange-spined hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus

Streaked dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus ichillus

Black-tailed hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
melanurus

Roosmalen's dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus
roosmalenorum

Frosted hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
pruinosus

North American
porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Stump-tailed
porcupine, Echinoprocta
rufescens

Bristle-spined
porcupine, Chaetomys
subspinosus (sometimes
considered an echimyid)

Superfamily Cavioidea

Family Hydrochaeridae: capybara

Family Caviidae: Guinea-pigs

Family Dasyproctidae: agoutis and

acouchis

Superfamily Octodontoidea

Family Abrocomidae: chinchillarats

Family Octodontidae: degus

Family Ctenomyidae: tuco-tucos

Family Echimyidae: spiny rats

Family Myocastoridae: nutrias

Family Capromyidae: hutias

Superfamily Chinchilloidea

Family Chinchillidae: chinchillas

and allies

Family Dinomyidae: pacaranas

See also[edit]

New World porcupines

Old World porcupines

References[edit]
1.

^ http://biblehub.com/topical/p/porcupine.htm

2.

^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, s.v.

"porcupine" . Retrieved March 26, 2015.

3.

^ Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "quill" .

Retrieved July 20, 2010.

4.

^ Barthelmess, E.L. (2006). "Hystix

africaeaustralis". Mammalian Species (788): 1
7.doi:10.1644/788.1.

5.

^ Parker, SB (1990) Grzimek's Encyclopedia of

Mammals, vol. 4, McGraw-Hill, New York.[page needed]

6.

^ Buffenstein, Rochelle; Jarvis, Jennifer U. M.

(May 2002). "The naked mole rata new record
for the oldest living rodent". Science of aging
knowledge environment 2002 (21):
pe7. doi:10.1126/sageke.2002.21.pe7. PMID 14
602989.

7.

^ a b "Porcupines, Porcupine Pictures, Porcupine

Facts". National Geographic. Retrieved2012-0220.

8.

^ "North American porcupine Erethizon

dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)". Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County. Retrieved July
26, 2012.

9.

^ a b "Porcupines raise thorny questions in

Kenya". BBC News. August 19, 2005.
Retrieved September 21, 2009.

10. ^ a b c David Attenborough

(2014). Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 2.
Armoured Animals. UKTV.
11. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of
Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature,
Enlarged and Improved. Archibald Constable.
1823. pp. 501.
12. ^ Shepard, Thomas Goodwin (1865). The
natural history of secession. Derby & Miller.
pp. 78.
13. ^ "Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under
threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find".
Sciencedaily.com. 2010-08-25. Retrieved 201202-20.
14. ^ Brooks, Emma G.E.; Roberton, Scott I.; Bell,
Diana J. (2010). "The conservation impact of
commercial wildlife farming of porcupines in
Vietnam". Biological Conservation 143 (11):
2808. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.030.
15. ^ Ettinger, Powell (2010-08-30). "Wildlife Extra
News Illegal hunting threatens Vietnams
wild porcupines". Wildlifeextra.com.
Retrieved 2012-02-20.
16. ^ "Lakota Quillwork Art and Legend".
Retrieved 29 June 2013.
17. ^ Cho, W. K.; Ankrum, J. A.; Guo, D.; Chester,
S. A.; Yang, S. Y.; Kashyap, A.; Campbell, G. A.;
Wood, R. J.; Rijal, R. K. et al. (2012).
"Microstructured barbs on the North American
porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration
and difficult removal". Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences 109 (52):
21289. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216441109.
18. ^ Huchon D., Catzeflis F. & Douzery E. J. P.
(2000). "Variance of molecular datings, evolution
of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities
between Ctenodactylidae and
Hystricognathi". Proc. R. Soc. Lond.
B 267 (1441): 393
402.doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1014. PMC 1690539
. PMID 10722222.

19. ^ Murphy W. J., Eizirik E., Johnson W. E.,

Zhang Y. P., Ryder O. A. & O'Brien S. (2001).
"Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of
placental mammals". Nature 409 (6820): 614
618. doi:10.1038/35054550. PMID 11214319.
20. ^ Huchon D., Chevret P., Jordan U., Kilpatrick
C. W., Ranwez V., Jenkins P. D., Brosius J. &
Schmitz J. (2007). "Multiple molecular
evidences for a living mammalian fossil". Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104 (18): 7495
7499. doi:10.1073/pnas.0701289104.PMC 1863
447. PMID 17452635.
21. ^ Blanga-Kanfi S., Miranda H., Penn O., Pupko
T., DeBry R. W. & Huchon D. (2009)."Rodent
phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes
from all major rodent clades".BMC Evol. Biol. 9:
71. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-9-71. PMC 267404
8.PMID 19341461.
22. ^ Churakov G., Sadasivuni M. K., Rosenbloom
K. R., Huchon D., Brosius J. & Schmitz J.
(2010). "Rodent evolution: back to the
root". Mol. Biol. Evol. 27 (6): 1315
1326.doi:10.1093/molbev/msq019. PMID 20100
942.
23. ^ Meredith R. W., Janecka J. E., Gatesy J.,
Ryder O. A., Fisher C. A., Teeling E. C.,
Goodbla A., Eizirik E., Simao T. L., Stadler T.,
Rabosky D. L., Honeycutt R. L., Flynn J. J.,
Ingram C. M., Steiner C., Williams T. L.,
Robinson T. J., Burk-Herrick A., Westerman M.,
Ayoub N. A., Springer M. S. & Murphy W. J.
(2011). "Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial
revolution and KPg extinction on mammal
diversification". Science 334 (6055): 521
524.doi:10.1126/science.1211028. PMID 21940
861.
24. ^ Fabre P.-H., Hautier L., Dimitrov D. & Douzery
E. J. P. (2012). "A glimpse on the pattern of
rodent diversification: a phylogenetic
approach". BMC Evol. Biol. 12:
88.doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-88. PMC 353238
3. PMID 22697210.
25. ^ Upham N. S. & Patterson B. D. (2012).
"Diversification and biogeography of the
Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea
(Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Mol. Phylogenet.
Evol 63 (2): 417
429. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID 22
327013.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Hystricidae.

Wikispecies has information

related to: Hystricidae
Look up porcupine in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.
Wikiquote has quotations
related to: Porcupines

Porcupines: Wildlife summary from the African

Wildlife Foundation

"Resource Cards: What About

Porcupines?" Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory

Porcupine control in the western states hosted

by the UNT Government Documents
Department

Porcupine Tracks at the Wayback

Machine (archived October 15, 2009): How to
identify porcupine tracks in the wild
Categories:
Porcupines

Rodents

Hystricognath rodents

Body plans

Navigation menu

Create account

Log in

Read
Edit
View history
Search

Go

Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction

Article
Talk


Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page
Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version
Languages

Brezhoneg
Catal
Cymraeg
Eesti
Espaol
Esperanto
Euskara

Franais
Frysk
Gaeilge
Galego
Ido
Bahasa Indonesia
/inuktitut
Iupiak
Basa Jawa

Kiswahili

Bahasa Melayu

Nederlands
Nhiyawwin /

Portugus
Simple English

/ srpski

Tsetshesthese
Trke

Ting Vit

Edit links

This page was last modified on 12 August 2015, at 22:24.

Text is available under the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Porcupine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the mammal. For other uses, see Porcupine (disambiguation).
Porcupine

North American porcupine

Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Rodentia

Suborder:

Hystricomorpha

Infraorder: Hystricognathi (part)

Families
Hystricidae (Old World
porcupines)
Erethizontidae (New World
porcupines)
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against
predators. The term covers two families of animals, the Old World porcupines and New World
porcupines. Both families belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast orderRodentia, both
display similar coats of quills, but they still are quite different and are not closely related.

The Old World porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia (western[1] as well as southern), and
most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. In taxonomic terms they form the
family Hystricidae.
The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They
live in wooded areas and can climb on trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They
are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller. Intaxonomic terms
they form the family Erethizontidae.
Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most
porcupines are about 2536 in (6491 cm) long, with an 810 in (2025 cm) long tail.
[dubious discuss]
Weighing 1235 lb (5.415.9 kg), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come
in various shades of brown, gray, and the unusual white. Porcupines' spiny protection resembles
that of the unrelatederinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian spiny anteaters
or monotreme echidnas.
Contents

1 Etymology

2 Evolution

3 Species

4 Quills

5 Uses

6 Habitat

7 Classification

8 See also

9 References

10 External links

Etymology[edit]
The name porcupine comes from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, quill, via Old Italian - Middle
French - Middle English.[2] A regional American name for the animal is quill pig.[3] Similarly, the
German name, Stachelschwein, means "thorn-swine".

Evolution[edit]
Fossils belonging to the Hystrix genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.[4]

Species[edit]
Old World porcupine

Taxonomy
A porcupine is any of 29 species of rodent belonging to the
families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Sphiggurus, Erethizo

n,Echinoprocta, and Chaetomys)

or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys).
Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's
Porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram
(2.2 lb); the Crested porcupine found in Italy, Sicily, North
Africa and sub-Saharan Africa can grow to well over 27 kg
(60 lb). The two families of porcupines are quite different, and
although both belong to theHystricognathi branch of the vast
order Rodentia, they are not closely related.
Old World compared to New World species
The eleven Old World porcupines tend to be fairly big, and
have spikes that are grouped in clusters.
The two subfamilies of New World porcupines are mostly
smaller (although the North American Porcupine reaches
about 85 cm or 33 in in length and 18 kg or 40 lb), have their
quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and
are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees.
The New World porcupines evolved their spines
independently (through convergent evolution) and are more
closely related to several other families of rodent than they
are to the Old World porcupines.
Longevity
Porcupines have a relatively high longevity and had
held the record for being the longest-living rodent,[5] until
it was recently broken by the naked mole-rat.[6]
Food
The North American porcupine is a herbivore. It
eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants
like clover. In the winter it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food.[7]
The African porcupine is not a climber and forages
on the ground.[7] It is mostly nocturnal,[8] but will
sometimes forage for food in the day. Porcupines
have become a pest inKenya and are eaten as a
delicacy.[9]

Quills[edit]

Quills come in varying lengths and colors, depending on

the animal's age and species.

Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms,

depending on the species, but all are modified hairs
coated with thick plates ofkeratin,[10] and embedded
in the skin musculature. Old World porcupines
(Hystricidae) have quills embedded in clusters,
whereas in New World porcupines (Erethizontidae),

single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur

and hair.
Quills are released by contact with them or may
drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New
quills grow to replace lost ones.[10] It was long
believed that Porcupines had the ability to project
their quills to a considerable distance at an enemy,
but this has since been proven to be untrue.[11][12]

Uses[edit]

Porcupine guardhair headdress made by native

peoples from Sonoradisplayed at the Museo de Arte
Popularin Mexico City.

Porcupines are only occasionally eaten in western

culture, but are very popular in Southeast Asia,
particularly Vietnam, where the prominent use of
them as a food source has contributed to significant
declines in their populations.[13][14][15] As mentioned, in
Kenya porcupines are eaten as a delicacy.[9]
More commonly, their quills and guardhairs are
used for traditional decorative clothing. For
example, their guardhairs are used in the creation
of the Native American "porky roach" headdress.
The main quills may be dyed, and then applied in
combination with thread to embellish leather
accessories such as knife sheaths and leather
bags. Lakota women would harvest the quills
for quillwork by throwing a blanket over a porcupine
and retrieving the quills it left stuck in the blanket. [16]
Porcupine quills have recently inspired a new type
of hypodermic needle. Thanks to backward-facing
barbs on the quills, when used as needles, they are

particularly good at two things penetrating the skin

and remaining in place.[17] The presence of barbs
acting like anchors makes it more painful to remove
a quill that has struck into the skin of predator.[10]

Habitat[edit]

A pair of North American porcupines in their habitat

in Quebec

Porcupines occupy a short range of habitats in

tropical and temperate parts of Asia, Southern
Europe, Africa, and North and South America.
Porcupines live in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops
and hillsides. Some New World porcupines live in
trees, but Old World porcupines stay on the rocks.
Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to
3,700 m (12,100 ft) high. Porcupines are generally
nocturnal but are occasionally active during
daylight.

Hunting Porcupine near the town of Cassem, The

Book of Wonders by Marco Polo (first book),
illumination stored at the French national library
(manuscript 2810)

Classification[edit]

A North American porcupine

North American porcupine eating grass and clover

Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionary

independent groups of the order Rodentia,
suborderHystricomorpha.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Infraorder Hystricognathi

Family Hystricidae: Old World

porcupines

African brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus africanus

Asiatic brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus macrourus

Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata

Cape porcupine, Hystrix

africaeaustralis

Indian porcupine, Hystrix indicus

Malayan porcupine, Hystrix brachyura

Himalayan porcupine, Hystrix

(brachyura) hodgsoni

Sunda porcupine, Hystrix javanica

Sumatran porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) sumatrae

Bornean porcupine, Hystrix (Thecurus)

crassispinis

Philippine porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) pumilis

Long-tailed porcupine, Trichys

fasciculata

Parvorder Phiomorpha sensu stricto

Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats

Family Petromuridae: Dassie rats

Family Bathyergidae: African mole-rats

Parvorder Caviomorpha

Superfamily Erethizontoidea

Family Erethizontidae: New

World porcupines

Brazilian porcupine, Coendou

prehensilis

Bicolored-spined
porcupine, Coendou bicolor

Andean porcupine, Coendou

quichua

Black dwarf (Koopman's)

porcupine, Coendou
nycthemera (koopmani)

Rothschild's
porcupine, Coendou rothschildi

Santa Marta
porcupine, Coendou
sanctemartae

Mexican hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
mexicanus

Paraguaian hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
spinosus

Bahia porcupine, Sphiggurus

insidiosus

Brown hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus vestitus

Orange-spined hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus

Streaked dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus ichillus

Black-tailed hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
melanurus

Roosmalen's dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus
roosmalenorum

Frosted hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
pruinosus

North American
porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Stump-tailed
porcupine, Echinoprocta
rufescens

Bristle-spined
porcupine, Chaetomys
subspinosus (sometimes
considered an echimyid)

Superfamily Cavioidea

Family Hydrochaeridae: capybara

Family Caviidae: Guinea-pigs

Family Dasyproctidae: agoutis and

acouchis

Superfamily Octodontoidea

Family Abrocomidae: chinchillarats

Family Octodontidae: degus

Family Ctenomyidae: tuco-tucos

Family Echimyidae: spiny rats

Family Myocastoridae: nutrias

Family Capromyidae: hutias

Superfamily Chinchilloidea

Family Chinchillidae: chinchillas

and allies

Family Dinomyidae: pacaranas

See also[edit]

New World porcupines

Old World porcupines

References[edit]
1.

^ http://biblehub.com/topical/p/porcupine.htm

2.

^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, s.v.

"porcupine" . Retrieved March 26, 2015.

3.

^ Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "quill" .

Retrieved July 20, 2010.

4.

^ Barthelmess, E.L. (2006). "Hystix

africaeaustralis". Mammalian Species (788): 1
7.doi:10.1644/788.1.

5.

^ Parker, SB (1990) Grzimek's Encyclopedia of

Mammals, vol. 4, McGraw-Hill, New York.[page needed]

6.

^ Buffenstein, Rochelle; Jarvis, Jennifer U. M.

(May 2002). "The naked mole rata new record
for the oldest living rodent". Science of aging
knowledge environment 2002 (21):
pe7. doi:10.1126/sageke.2002.21.pe7. PMID 14
602989.

7.

^ a b "Porcupines, Porcupine Pictures, Porcupine

Facts". National Geographic. Retrieved2012-0220.

8.

^ "North American porcupine Erethizon

dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)". Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County. Retrieved July
26, 2012.

9.

^ a b "Porcupines raise thorny questions in

Kenya". BBC News. August 19, 2005.
Retrieved September 21, 2009.

10. ^ a b c David Attenborough

(2014). Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 2.
Armoured Animals. UKTV.
11. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of
Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature,
Enlarged and Improved. Archibald Constable.
1823. pp. 501.
12. ^ Shepard, Thomas Goodwin (1865). The
natural history of secession. Derby & Miller.
pp. 78.
13. ^ "Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under
threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find".
Sciencedaily.com. 2010-08-25. Retrieved 201202-20.
14. ^ Brooks, Emma G.E.; Roberton, Scott I.; Bell,
Diana J. (2010). "The conservation impact of
commercial wildlife farming of porcupines in
Vietnam". Biological Conservation 143 (11):
2808. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.030.
15. ^ Ettinger, Powell (2010-08-30). "Wildlife Extra
News Illegal hunting threatens Vietnams
wild porcupines". Wildlifeextra.com.
Retrieved 2012-02-20.
16. ^ "Lakota Quillwork Art and Legend".
Retrieved 29 June 2013.
17. ^ Cho, W. K.; Ankrum, J. A.; Guo, D.; Chester,
S. A.; Yang, S. Y.; Kashyap, A.; Campbell, G. A.;
Wood, R. J.; Rijal, R. K. et al. (2012).
"Microstructured barbs on the North American
porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration
and difficult removal". Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences 109 (52):
21289. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216441109.
18. ^ Huchon D., Catzeflis F. & Douzery E. J. P.
(2000). "Variance of molecular datings, evolution
of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities
between Ctenodactylidae and
Hystricognathi". Proc. R. Soc. Lond.
B 267 (1441): 393
402.doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1014. PMC 1690539
. PMID 10722222.

19. ^ Murphy W. J., Eizirik E., Johnson W. E.,

Zhang Y. P., Ryder O. A. & O'Brien S. (2001).
"Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of
placental mammals". Nature 409 (6820): 614
618. doi:10.1038/35054550. PMID 11214319.
20. ^ Huchon D., Chevret P., Jordan U., Kilpatrick
C. W., Ranwez V., Jenkins P. D., Brosius J. &
Schmitz J. (2007). "Multiple molecular
evidences for a living mammalian fossil". Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104 (18): 7495
7499. doi:10.1073/pnas.0701289104.PMC 1863
447. PMID 17452635.
21. ^ Blanga-Kanfi S., Miranda H., Penn O., Pupko
T., DeBry R. W. & Huchon D. (2009)."Rodent
phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes
from all major rodent clades".BMC Evol. Biol. 9:
71. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-9-71. PMC 267404
8.PMID 19341461.
22. ^ Churakov G., Sadasivuni M. K., Rosenbloom
K. R., Huchon D., Brosius J. & Schmitz J.
(2010). "Rodent evolution: back to the
root". Mol. Biol. Evol. 27 (6): 1315
1326.doi:10.1093/molbev/msq019. PMID 20100
942.
23. ^ Meredith R. W., Janecka J. E., Gatesy J.,
Ryder O. A., Fisher C. A., Teeling E. C.,
Goodbla A., Eizirik E., Simao T. L., Stadler T.,
Rabosky D. L., Honeycutt R. L., Flynn J. J.,
Ingram C. M., Steiner C., Williams T. L.,
Robinson T. J., Burk-Herrick A., Westerman M.,
Ayoub N. A., Springer M. S. & Murphy W. J.
(2011). "Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial
revolution and KPg extinction on mammal
diversification". Science 334 (6055): 521
524.doi:10.1126/science.1211028. PMID 21940
861.
24. ^ Fabre P.-H., Hautier L., Dimitrov D. & Douzery
E. J. P. (2012). "A glimpse on the pattern of
rodent diversification: a phylogenetic
approach". BMC Evol. Biol. 12:
88.doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-88. PMC 353238
3. PMID 22697210.
25. ^ Upham N. S. & Patterson B. D. (2012).
"Diversification and biogeography of the
Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea
(Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Mol. Phylogenet.
Evol 63 (2): 417
429. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID 22
327013.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Hystricidae.

Wikispecies has information

related to: Hystricidae
Look up porcupine in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.
Wikiquote has quotations
related to: Porcupines

Porcupines: Wildlife summary from the African

Wildlife Foundation

"Resource Cards: What About

Porcupines?" Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory

Porcupine control in the western states hosted

by the UNT Government Documents
Department

Porcupine Tracks at the Wayback

Machine (archived October 15, 2009): How to
identify porcupine tracks in the wild
Categories:
Porcupines

Rodents

Hystricognath rodents

Body plans

Navigation menu

Create account

Log in

Read
Edit
View history
Search

Go

Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction

Article
Talk


Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page
Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version
Languages

Brezhoneg
Catal
Cymraeg
Eesti
Espaol
Esperanto
Euskara

Franais
Frysk
Gaeilge
Galego
Ido
Bahasa Indonesia
/inuktitut
Iupiak
Basa Jawa

Kiswahili

Bahasa Melayu

Nederlands
Nhiyawwin /

Portugus
Simple English

/ srpski

Tsetshesthese
Trke

Ting Vit

Edit links

This page was last modified on 12 August 2015, at 22:24.

Text is available under the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Porcupine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the mammal. For other uses, see Porcupine (disambiguation).
Porcupine

North American porcupine

Scientific classification
Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Order:

Rodentia

Suborder:

Hystricomorpha

Infraorder: Hystricognathi (part)

Families
Hystricidae (Old World
porcupines)
Erethizontidae (New World
porcupines)
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against
predators. The term covers two families of animals, the Old World porcupines and New World
porcupines. Both families belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast orderRodentia, both
display similar coats of quills, but they still are quite different and are not closely related.

The Old World porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia (western[1] as well as southern), and
most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. In taxonomic terms they form the
family Hystricidae.
The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They
live in wooded areas and can climb on trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They
are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller. Intaxonomic terms
they form the family Erethizontidae.
Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most
porcupines are about 2536 in (6491 cm) long, with an 810 in (2025 cm) long tail.
[dubious discuss]
Weighing 1235 lb (5.415.9 kg), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come
in various shades of brown, gray, and the unusual white. Porcupines' spiny protection resembles
that of the unrelatederinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian spiny anteaters
or monotreme echidnas.
Contents

1 Etymology

2 Evolution

3 Species

4 Quills

5 Uses

6 Habitat

7 Classification

8 See also

9 References

10 External links

Etymology[edit]
The name porcupine comes from Latin porcus pig + spina spine, quill, via Old Italian - Middle
French - Middle English.[2] A regional American name for the animal is quill pig.[3] Similarly, the
German name, Stachelschwein, means "thorn-swine".

Evolution[edit]
Fossils belonging to the Hystrix genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.[4]

Species[edit]
Old World porcupine

Taxonomy
A porcupine is any of 29 species of rodent belonging to the
families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Sphiggurus, Erethizo

n,Echinoprocta, and Chaetomys)

or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys).
Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's
Porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram
(2.2 lb); the Crested porcupine found in Italy, Sicily, North
Africa and sub-Saharan Africa can grow to well over 27 kg
(60 lb). The two families of porcupines are quite different, and
although both belong to theHystricognathi branch of the vast
order Rodentia, they are not closely related.
Old World compared to New World species
The eleven Old World porcupines tend to be fairly big, and
have spikes that are grouped in clusters.
The two subfamilies of New World porcupines are mostly
smaller (although the North American Porcupine reaches
about 85 cm or 33 in in length and 18 kg or 40 lb), have their
quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and
are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees.
The New World porcupines evolved their spines
independently (through convergent evolution) and are more
closely related to several other families of rodent than they
are to the Old World porcupines.
Longevity
Porcupines have a relatively high longevity and had
held the record for being the longest-living rodent,[5] until
it was recently broken by the naked mole-rat.[6]
Food
The North American porcupine is a herbivore. It
eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants
like clover. In the winter it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food.[7]
The African porcupine is not a climber and forages
on the ground.[7] It is mostly nocturnal,[8] but will
sometimes forage for food in the day. Porcupines
have become a pest inKenya and are eaten as a
delicacy.[9]

Quills[edit]

Quills come in varying lengths and colors, depending on

the animal's age and species.

Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms,

depending on the species, but all are modified hairs
coated with thick plates ofkeratin,[10] and embedded
in the skin musculature. Old World porcupines
(Hystricidae) have quills embedded in clusters,
whereas in New World porcupines (Erethizontidae),

single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur

and hair.
Quills are released by contact with them or may
drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New
quills grow to replace lost ones.[10] It was long
believed that Porcupines had the ability to project
their quills to a considerable distance at an enemy,
but this has since been proven to be untrue.[11][12]

Uses[edit]

Porcupine guardhair headdress made by native

peoples from Sonoradisplayed at the Museo de Arte
Popularin Mexico City.

Porcupines are only occasionally eaten in western

culture, but are very popular in Southeast Asia,
particularly Vietnam, where the prominent use of
them as a food source has contributed to significant
declines in their populations.[13][14][15] As mentioned, in
Kenya porcupines are eaten as a delicacy.[9]
More commonly, their quills and guardhairs are
used for traditional decorative clothing. For
example, their guardhairs are used in the creation
of the Native American "porky roach" headdress.
The main quills may be dyed, and then applied in
combination with thread to embellish leather
accessories such as knife sheaths and leather
bags. Lakota women would harvest the quills
for quillwork by throwing a blanket over a porcupine
and retrieving the quills it left stuck in the blanket. [16]
Porcupine quills have recently inspired a new type
of hypodermic needle. Thanks to backward-facing
barbs on the quills, when used as needles, they are

particularly good at two things penetrating the skin

and remaining in place.[17] The presence of barbs
acting like anchors makes it more painful to remove
a quill that has struck into the skin of predator.[10]

Habitat[edit]

A pair of North American porcupines in their habitat

in Quebec

Porcupines occupy a short range of habitats in

tropical and temperate parts of Asia, Southern
Europe, Africa, and North and South America.
Porcupines live in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops
and hillsides. Some New World porcupines live in
trees, but Old World porcupines stay on the rocks.
Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to
3,700 m (12,100 ft) high. Porcupines are generally
nocturnal but are occasionally active during
daylight.

Hunting Porcupine near the town of Cassem, The

Book of Wonders by Marco Polo (first book),
illumination stored at the French national library
(manuscript 2810)

Classification[edit]

A North American porcupine

North American porcupine eating grass and clover

Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionary

independent groups of the order Rodentia,
suborderHystricomorpha.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]

Infraorder Hystricognathi

Family Hystricidae: Old World

porcupines

African brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus africanus

Asiatic brush-tailed
porcupine, Atherurus macrourus

Crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata

Cape porcupine, Hystrix

africaeaustralis

Indian porcupine, Hystrix indicus

Malayan porcupine, Hystrix brachyura

Himalayan porcupine, Hystrix

(brachyura) hodgsoni

Sunda porcupine, Hystrix javanica

Sumatran porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) sumatrae

Bornean porcupine, Hystrix (Thecurus)

crassispinis

Philippine porcupine, Hystrix

(Thecurus) pumilis

Long-tailed porcupine, Trichys

fasciculata

Parvorder Phiomorpha sensu stricto

Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats

Family Petromuridae: Dassie rats

Family Bathyergidae: African mole-rats

Parvorder Caviomorpha

Superfamily Erethizontoidea

Family Erethizontidae: New

World porcupines

Brazilian porcupine, Coendou

prehensilis

Bicolored-spined
porcupine, Coendou bicolor

Andean porcupine, Coendou

quichua

Black dwarf (Koopman's)

porcupine, Coendou
nycthemera (koopmani)

Rothschild's
porcupine, Coendou rothschildi

Santa Marta
porcupine, Coendou
sanctemartae

Mexican hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
mexicanus

Paraguaian hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
spinosus

Bahia porcupine, Sphiggurus

insidiosus

Brown hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus vestitus

Orange-spined hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus

Streaked dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus ichillus

Black-tailed hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
melanurus

Roosmalen's dwarf
porcupine, Sphiggurus
roosmalenorum

Frosted hairy dwarf

porcupine, Sphiggurus
pruinosus

North American
porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Stump-tailed
porcupine, Echinoprocta
rufescens

Bristle-spined
porcupine, Chaetomys
subspinosus (sometimes
considered an echimyid)

Superfamily Cavioidea

Family Hydrochaeridae: capybara

Family Caviidae: Guinea-pigs

Family Dasyproctidae: agoutis and

acouchis

Superfamily Octodontoidea

Family Abrocomidae: chinchillarats

Family Octodontidae: degus

Family Ctenomyidae: tuco-tucos

Family Echimyidae: spiny rats

Family Myocastoridae: nutrias

Family Capromyidae: hutias

Superfamily Chinchilloidea

Family Chinchillidae: chinchillas

and allies

Family Dinomyidae: pacaranas

See also[edit]

New World porcupines

Old World porcupines

References[edit]
1.

^ http://biblehub.com/topical/p/porcupine.htm

2.

^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, s.v.

"porcupine" . Retrieved March 26, 2015.

3.

^ Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. "quill" .

Retrieved July 20, 2010.

4.

^ Barthelmess, E.L. (2006). "Hystix

africaeaustralis". Mammalian Species (788): 1
7.doi:10.1644/788.1.

5.

^ Parker, SB (1990) Grzimek's Encyclopedia of

Mammals, vol. 4, McGraw-Hill, New York.[page needed]

6.

^ Buffenstein, Rochelle; Jarvis, Jennifer U. M.

(May 2002). "The naked mole rata new record
for the oldest living rodent". Science of aging
knowledge environment 2002 (21):
pe7. doi:10.1126/sageke.2002.21.pe7. PMID 14
602989.

7.

^ a b "Porcupines, Porcupine Pictures, Porcupine

Facts". National Geographic. Retrieved2012-0220.

8.

^ "North American porcupine Erethizon

dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)". Natural History
Museum of Los Angeles County. Retrieved July
26, 2012.

9.

^ a b "Porcupines raise thorny questions in

Kenya". BBC News. August 19, 2005.
Retrieved September 21, 2009.

10. ^ a b c David Attenborough

(2014). Attenborough's Natural Curiosities 2.
Armoured Animals. UKTV.
11. ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: Or, A Dictionary of
Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature,
Enlarged and Improved. Archibald Constable.
1823. pp. 501.
12. ^ Shepard, Thomas Goodwin (1865). The
natural history of secession. Derby & Miller.
pp. 78.
13. ^ "Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under
threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find".
Sciencedaily.com. 2010-08-25. Retrieved 201202-20.
14. ^ Brooks, Emma G.E.; Roberton, Scott I.; Bell,
Diana J. (2010). "The conservation impact of
commercial wildlife farming of porcupines in
Vietnam". Biological Conservation 143 (11):
2808. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.030.
15. ^ Ettinger, Powell (2010-08-30). "Wildlife Extra
News Illegal hunting threatens Vietnams
wild porcupines". Wildlifeextra.com.
Retrieved 2012-02-20.
16. ^ "Lakota Quillwork Art and Legend".
Retrieved 29 June 2013.
17. ^ Cho, W. K.; Ankrum, J. A.; Guo, D.; Chester,
S. A.; Yang, S. Y.; Kashyap, A.; Campbell, G. A.;
Wood, R. J.; Rijal, R. K. et al. (2012).
"Microstructured barbs on the North American
porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration
and difficult removal". Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences 109 (52):
21289. doi:10.1073/pnas.1216441109.
18. ^ Huchon D., Catzeflis F. & Douzery E. J. P.
(2000). "Variance of molecular datings, evolution
of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities
between Ctenodactylidae and
Hystricognathi". Proc. R. Soc. Lond.
B 267 (1441): 393
402.doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1014. PMC 1690539
. PMID 10722222.

19. ^ Murphy W. J., Eizirik E., Johnson W. E.,

Zhang Y. P., Ryder O. A. & O'Brien S. (2001).
"Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of
placental mammals". Nature 409 (6820): 614
618. doi:10.1038/35054550. PMID 11214319.
20. ^ Huchon D., Chevret P., Jordan U., Kilpatrick
C. W., Ranwez V., Jenkins P. D., Brosius J. &
Schmitz J. (2007). "Multiple molecular
evidences for a living mammalian fossil". Proc.
Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104 (18): 7495
7499. doi:10.1073/pnas.0701289104.PMC 1863
447. PMID 17452635.
21. ^ Blanga-Kanfi S., Miranda H., Penn O., Pupko
T., DeBry R. W. & Huchon D. (2009)."Rodent
phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes
from all major rodent clades".BMC Evol. Biol. 9:
71. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-9-71. PMC 267404
8.PMID 19341461.
22. ^ Churakov G., Sadasivuni M. K., Rosenbloom
K. R., Huchon D., Brosius J. & Schmitz J.
(2010). "Rodent evolution: back to the
root". Mol. Biol. Evol. 27 (6): 1315
1326.doi:10.1093/molbev/msq019. PMID 20100
942.
23. ^ Meredith R. W., Janecka J. E., Gatesy J.,
Ryder O. A., Fisher C. A., Teeling E. C.,
Goodbla A., Eizirik E., Simao T. L., Stadler T.,
Rabosky D. L., Honeycutt R. L., Flynn J. J.,
Ingram C. M., Steiner C., Williams T. L.,
Robinson T. J., Burk-Herrick A., Westerman M.,
Ayoub N. A., Springer M. S. & Murphy W. J.
(2011). "Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial
revolution and KPg extinction on mammal
diversification". Science 334 (6055): 521
524.doi:10.1126/science.1211028. PMID 21940
861.
24. ^ Fabre P.-H., Hautier L., Dimitrov D. & Douzery
E. J. P. (2012). "A glimpse on the pattern of
rodent diversification: a phylogenetic
approach". BMC Evol. Biol. 12:
88.doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-88. PMC 353238
3. PMID 22697210.
25. ^ Upham N. S. & Patterson B. D. (2012).
"Diversification and biogeography of the
Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea
(Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Mol. Phylogenet.
Evol 63 (2): 417
429. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID 22
327013.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Hystricidae.

Wikispecies has information

related to: Hystricidae
Look up porcupine in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.
Wikiquote has quotations
related to: Porcupines

Porcupines: Wildlife summary from the African

Wildlife Foundation

"Resource Cards: What About

Porcupines?" Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory

Porcupine control in the western states hosted

by the UNT Government Documents
Department

Porcupine Tracks at the Wayback

Machine (archived October 15, 2009): How to
identify porcupine tracks in the wild
Categories:
Porcupines

Rodents

Hystricognath rodents

Body plans

Navigation menu

Create account

Log in

Read
Edit
View history
Search

Go

Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction

Article
Talk


Help

About Wikipedia

Community portal

Recent changes

Contact page
Tools

What links here

Related changes

Upload file

Special pages

Permanent link

Page information

Wikidata item

Cite this page

Print/export

Create a book

Download as PDF

Printable version
Languages

Brezhoneg
Catal
Cymraeg
Eesti
Espaol
Esperanto
Euskara

Franais
Frysk
Gaeilge
Galego
Ido
Bahasa Indonesia
/inuktitut
Iupiak
Basa Jawa

Kiswahili

Bahasa Melayu

Nederlands
Nhiyawwin /

Portugus
Simple English

/ srpski

Tsetshesthese
Trke

Ting Vit

Edit links

This page was last modified on 12 August 2015, at 22:24.

Text is available under the Creative Commons AttributionShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon

Behavior

Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

Classification

Characteristics
Range
Habitat
Diet
Life Cycle
Behavior

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Erethizontidae
Genus: Erethizon
Click on the images for a larger view.

Characteristics
The porcupine is a rodent. It has black to
brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. It has
hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. It
has a round body, small ears and a small head.
The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is
its quills. A porcupine may have as many as
30,000 quills. The quills are hairs with barbed tips
on the ends. Quills are solid at the tip and base
and hollow for most of the shaft. The porcupine
has quills on all parts of its body, except for its
stomach. The longest quills are on its rump. The
shortest quills are on its cheeks.
The porcupine uses its quills for defense. The
porcupine cannot shoot its quills. When a predator
approaches, the porcupine will turn its back, raise
the quills and lash out at the threat with its tail. If
the porcupine hits an animal with its quills, the
quills become embedded in the animal. Body heat
makes the barbs expand and they become even
more deeply embedded in the animal's skin. If an
animal is hit in a vital place it may die. The
porcupine is not an aggressive animal. It will only
attack if it is threatened. Some animals, like the
fisher, are experts
at attacking
porcupines.

Range
The common
porcupine can be
found in most of
Canada and the
western United
States south to
Mexico. In the
eastern United
States, it can be
found in Wisconsin,
Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New
York and New
England.

Habitat
The common
porcupine lives in

Diet
The common porcupine is anherbivore. It eats
leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage
and clover. In the winter, it may eat bark. It often
climbs trees to find food. It is mostly nocturnal,
but will sometimes forage for food in the day.

Life Cycle
Porcupines mate in
late summer and
early fall.
Porcupines are very
vocal during mating
season. Males often fight over females. The male
performs an elaborate dance and sprays urine
over the head of the female. Seven months after
mating the female gives birth to a single baby.
When the baby is born, its quills are soft. They
harden about an hour after birth. The baby is
begins to forage for food after only a couple of
days. The baby will stay with its mother for about
six months.

Behavior

coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. In the

west, it can be found in scrubby areas.

The common porcupine is a solitary animal,

although it may den with other porcupines in the
winter. It makes its den in caves, decaying logs
and hollow trees. The common porcupine doesn't
hibernate, but it may stay in its den during bad
weather. The common porcupine is a good
swimmer, its hollow quills help keep it afloat. It is
also an excellent tree-climber and spends much of
its time in trees. It is a very vocal animal and has
a wide-variety of calls including moans, grunts,
coughs, wails, whines, shrieks and tooth clicking.

Image Credits: Clipart.com u