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© Brent Ward

Porcupine

Erethizon dorsatum

Physical Characteristics

  • The upper parts of the body are covered with thick, sharp, barbed quills mixed with longer, stiff guard hairs; the underfur is wooly. Each quill has a yellow-white base with a dark tip. The underparts are covered with stiff, dark hairs. The short, thick tail is armed with quills above and stiff bristles below. The heavy feet are naked and modified for arboreal life. The incisor teeth are heavy and deep orange.
  • Size of average adult
    • length: 2.5 - 3.5 feet
    • weight: 11 - 28.5 pounds
  • Approximate life span is 10 years.

Diet

  • Wild: buds, twigs, roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds

Behavior

  • Mainly solitary, but may tolerate others for feeding and denning purposes
  • Primarily terrestrial, but often climb trees for food
  • Swims well, hollow quills provide buoyancy
  • Make many sounds including moans, grunts, coughs, wails, whines and tooth chatters
  • Mainly nocturnal, but sometimes forage by day
  • Do not attack, only when cornered will they erect all quills and slap offender with the tail
  • The quills are not thrown, but are so lightly attached they come loose after entering the skin of the enemy
  • Reproduction
    • sexual maturity: 2 - 2.5 years
    • breeding season: fall and early winter
    • gestation : 205 - 217 days
    • Mostly a single porcupette is born, covered with long, black hair and short soft quills, it can survive on vegetation at 2 weeks

Environmental/Global

  • Habitat: forest with mixed hardwood and softwood trees, tundra, range land and desert
  • Distribution: Arctic coast to northern Mexico
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