Porcupine walking around the porch of a cabin in central PA.

Porcupine walking around the porch of a cabin in central PA.

Porcupine walking around the porch of a cabin in central PA.

Porcupines are nocturnal, which means they are active at night and sleep during the day. This porcupine was resting high up in the top of this tree in central PA. Porcupines are the second largest rodents in North America. They are one of the few animals, like the skunk, who want to be seen, because their only defense are their sharp, approximately 30,000 quills and they want others to know what they are and be wary of them. Porcupines move slowly. They do not hurt you unless you try and touch them. They cannot through their quills. In order for the quills to become in-bedded you have to touch the porcupine. About 75 mm long and 2 mm wide, the needle sharp quills detach very easily and will remain embedded in an attacker. They have microscopic, backwards-facing barbs on the tip that catch on the skin making them difficult and painful to extract.  If a quill becomes lodged in the tissues of a would-be attacker, the barbs act to pull the quill further into the tissues with the normal muscle movements of the attacker, moving up to several millimeters in a day. Predators have been known to die as a result of quill penetration and infection. Quills are still capable of penetrating animals and humans even after death.

Porcupine in central PA hides up in a tree.

Porcupine in central PA hides up in a tree.

Porcupine in central PA hides up in a tree.

Porcupine in central PA hides up in a tree.

Porcupine in central PA hides up in a tree.

Porcupine in central PA hides up in a tree.

 

 

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