A North American porcupine (<i>Erethizon dorsatum</i>) photographed at Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
A North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) photographed at Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark

Porcupines

The porcupine is the prickliest of rodents, though its Latin name means “quill pig.” There are more than 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 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

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