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Animals

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A-Z

Porcupine

Erethizon dorsatum

Porcupine on a gravel path

Photograph by Bates
Littlehales

Porcupine Profile

The porcupine is the prickliest of rodents, though
its Latin name means "quill pig." There are about two
dozen porcupine species, and all boast a coat of
needle-like quills to give predators a sharp reminder
that this animal is no easy meal. Some quills, like
those of Africa's crested porcupine, are nearly a foot
(30 centimeters) long.

Porcupines have soft hair,
but on their back, sides, and tail it is usually mixed
with sharp quills. These quills typically lie flat until
a porcupine is threatened, then leap to attention as a
persuasive deterrent. Porcupines cannot shoot them at
predators as once thought, but the quills do detach
easily when touched.

Many animals come away from
a porcupine encounter with quills protruding from their
own snouts or bodies. Quills have sharp tips and
overlapping scales or barbs that make them difficult to
remove once they are stuck in another animal's skin.
Porcupines grow new quills to replace the ones they
lose.

The porcupines found in North and South
America are good climbers and spend much of their time
in trees. Some even have prehensile (gripping) tails to
aid in climbing. The North American porcupine is the
only species that lives in the U.S. and Canada, and is
the largest of all porcupines. A single animal may have
30,000 or more quills. North American porcupines use
their large front teeth to satisfy a healthy appetite
for wood. They eat natural bark and stems, and have been
known to invade campgrounds and chew on canoe paddles.
North American porcupines also eat fruit, leaves, and
springtime buds.

Other porcupine species live in
Africa, Europe, and Asia. These animals usually live on
the ground and can inhabit deserts, grasslands, and
forests.

Female porcupines have between one and
four young, depending on the species. Babies have soft
quills at birth, which harden within a few days. Most
young porcupines are ready to live on their own at about
two months of age.

Fast Facts

Type: Mammal

Diet: Herbivore

Average lifespan in the wild: 5 to
7 years

Size: Head and body 25 to 36 in (60
to 90 cm); Tail, 8 to 10 in (20-25 cm)

Weight: 12 to 35 lbs (5 to 16
kg)

Group name: Family

Size relative to a tea
cup:

Multimedia

Porcupine Printable Factsheet

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