Get to the Point: 5 Fast Facts About Porcupines

We identify a porcupine in a reader's photo and separate prickly fact from fiction.

When Emily in Canada asked for help identifying what species of porcupine she photographed here in NatGeo's Your Shot, we turned to Uldis Roze of Queens College at the City University of New York, who wrote the book on porcupines.

If you didn't know there were different species of porcupines, never fear. In our Weird Animal Question of the Week, we'll fill you in on the most surprising facts about these prickly pals.

Roze says Emily's subject is Coendou mexicanus, a Mexican long-haired porcupine, identifiable by its prehensile tail and long hair hiding those famous quills. The species is found as far south as Panama (Emily photographed it in Costa Rica), and it and its

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