North American Porcupine

Appearance

The North American porcupine is the largest species of “New World” porcupines, otherwise known as those found across North and South America. Short and stocky, the species grows to about 3 feet in length, and weighs anywhere from 7 pounds to nearly 40. As a rodent, North American porcupines have front incisor teeth that are constantly growing. The teeth have a characteristic orange color thanks to their iron-rich enamel coating. The most distinctive feature of the North American porcupine is their quills. A single porcupine can have a coat of over 30,000 quills mixed with dark brown fur. 

Adaptations 

North American porcupines are a popular prey animal, and so have developed a number of defense techniques to ward off predators. They are adept climbers, often spending their days resting in the branches or hollows of various trees. If living in harsher environments, they may choose to live in small caves or rocky areas. They are able to eat a wide variety of plant material, meaning they don’t have to travel far from the safety of their den to find food.

North American porcupines also have a strong odor that can increase when they are stressed. This foul smell is created by a special path of skin on their lower back, and is often described as smelling similar to body odor or barnyard animals. Porcupines are not very fast or agile, especially when on the ground. In an effort to stop predator attacks before they start, porcupines have adapted to project how unappetizing and painful eating them could be.

A Coat of Quills

North American porcupines, like all of their relatives, are famous for their thick coat of quills. When threatened, the animal will bristle these quills, and turn so that their backside is facing their attacker. Occasionally they may swing their tails in an attempt to hit a predator in the face. Although many believe that a porcupine can throw their quills at will, this is not the case. Instead, similar to spines on a cactus, a porcupine’s quills are barbed and easily pull off from the porcupine itself. It only takes a firm brush against a quill to remove it from the porcupine’s coat, especially when they’re in a defensive position. Once a predator is stuck with quills they are difficult and painful to remove.

Porcupine quills are coated in fatty acids that can feel greasy to the touch. Some research has indicated that these fatty acids might work like antibiotics when a porcupine pricks themselves with their own quills. This is a fairly common occurrence, as porcupines have been known to fall from trees while reaching for the tender new growth and buds on the edges of branches.