Interesting and fun Porcupine facts all ranked by you! Privacy Policy | In taxonomic terms, they form the family Erethizontidae. For more videos about wildlife please subscribe :) Royalty free content brought from pond5.com and/or bigstockphoto.com They are herbivorous animals (eat only plants). Porcupines have a good sense of touch, smell and hearing. Roughly 30,000 quills cover the whole body except for the stomach, nose and bottom of their feet. When the quills enter the skin of a predator, they work their way further into the skin at a rate of 1 mm an hour. They weigh 12 to 35 pounds. 1. These spines, which can be up to 5 cm (2 in.) Required fields are marked *. 37 Prickly Facts about Porcupines They use their strong feet and curved claws to climb the tree. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Further, a porcupine ray’s preferred habitat is in populated coastal areas that are more susceptible to human activity. The porcupine is Africa’s largest rodent. The word porcupine is derived from … Depending on species porcupines weigh 2.5 to 77 lbs. Porcupine Fish Features. Porcupines are nocturnal animals. If you’re ever lucky enough to see a porcupine in person, you’ll note how big they can actually be. Yet Latin isn’t the only language misidentifying the porcupine: The French word equivalent to the English porcupine is porc espin or “spined pig”. 7. North American porcupines satisfy their healthy appetite for wood with their large front, They eat natural bark and stems and even chew on canoe paddles. The word porcupine in Latin means “quill pig.” It’s an inaccurate scientific description as porcupines are rodents and pigs are even-toed ungulates. Porcupines are found in woodland, savannah and forest biomes as well as rocky outcrops. Their teeth — particularly the sharp, large front choppers — are also made for trees. Porcupines are 2 to 3 feet long in their head and body. They also eat nuts, tubers, seeds, grass, leaves, fruit and buds.Though they don't eat meat, porcupines chew on bones to sharpen their teeth. Porcupines easily cut through even steel wire. Required fields are marked *. Porcupines are mammals. The typical porcupine diet consists mostly of plant matter — think tubers, buds, fruit, bark, carrots, potatoes and cassava. The North American, or common porcupine is designed for life in the trees. – Source. Some porcupines love wood and eat a lot of bark and stems. They came out from their hides at night for finding food and it is also meant for avoiding any direct contact with predators. Porcupines are arboreal, built for climbing trees. Porcupines are more likely to flee predators, but if cornered, it will er… Porcupines are very vocal during mating season and the gestation period is about 7 months. A male porcupine is a ”boar” and a female is a “sow”. Their prehensile tails make the task of living in the trees easier. Porcupines are a mammal that is often considered a rodent. They are solitary during much of their lives. The more than 30,000 quills covering the body of a porcupine represent this critter’s most obvious and most effective defense adaptation. These predators kill a porcupine by biting its unprotected face or by flipping it over to expose the vulnerable underside. Their body (from the nose to the base of the tail) measures between 70 and 90 cm, with the tail adding an additional 8–10 cm. At about two months of age, most young porcupines are ready to live on their own. Some quills are nearly a foot long, like those of Africa’s crested porcupine. Unlike the 'New World' porcupines, this porcupine is a ground-dwelling and burrowing animal. At first, babies have soft quills but they harden within a few days. Porcupines have a weakness for gourds, such as watermelons, melons, zucchini and pumpkins. North and South America’s porcupines are good climbers and spend much of their time in. Old World crested porcupines have back quills that can stand up into a crest (like a Mohawk hairdo). Facts and Information. A group of porcupines is called a family. They display their weaponry for all to see. They live in wooded areas and can climb trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They are generally nocturnal, but are occasionally active during daylight. If for some reason they lose some of their needles, they will soon grow new ones. Porcupines have soft hair, but on their back, sides, and tail it is usually mixed with sharp quills. (1.2 to 35 kilograms), and their tails can grow up to 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm). It’s difficult to remove quills once they are stuck in another animal’s skin because of their sharp tips and overlapping scales or barbs. The Indian crested porcupine is a large rodent, weighing 11–18 kg. Interesting facts about Yorkshire Terriers. Although there’s not enough data on some species there are currently no porcupine species listed as endangered. When under threat of attack the porcupine will give warnings by hissing, growling, clicking … Although porcupines do not hibernate during the winter, they remain in their dens during especially cold or inclement weather. Porcupines are large rodents with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail. A baby porcupine is called a porcupette. A mother and her young are a family group called a prickle. The crest starts from the top of the head and goes down to the shoulders. You're staring at a big, spiny ball that only the bravest sharks would dare eat. Depending on species baby porcupines mature at 9 months to 2.5 years, and can live up to 15 years in the wild. The derivation of the word “porcupine” can be traced back to Old English and French. Find us on Facebook The porcupine Latin name means “quill pig”. The porcupine Latin name means “quill pig”. Write for us | 5 Fascinating Facts #1. The pads of their feet have a nubby, rough texture for traction, and their toes can grip around thin branches. Its long strands of brown hair looks soft, but thousands of quills are tucked inside. Porcupines are very vocal during mating season and the gestation period is about 7 months. Description. Porcupines do not shoot their quills at predators as is widely thought. 4. Most porcupines are about 60–90 cm (25–36 in) long, with an 20–25 cm (8–10 in) long tail. Your email address will not be published. Porcupine babies, called porcupettes, are not born with sharp or barbed quills. The North American porcupines also eat. Porcupines can live a long time. Porcupines have natural antibiotics in their skin and are the only mammals native to North America to have such protection. They are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller. They are excellent climbers. That is why some of them are gray and others are brown. All porcupines (and the Cape porcupine is no exception) have banded quills which are essentially their hairs. The longest quills are found on their back and behind, while the shortest ones are on their face. Follow us on Twitter These quills usually lie flat until a porcupine is in danger when they come to attention as a persuasive warning. Therefore, we can say that hedgehogs are carnivores and porcupines are herbivores, which constitutes a huge distinction between the two. Factlist containing Fun Porcupine Facts. The porcupine's most famous featurethe quillis hollow, 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 centimeters) in length, and lightly attached to the porcupine's skin. A porcupine is a rodent with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators.The porcupine is the third biggest rodent, after the capybara, and beaver, and are not to be confused with hedgehogs.Most porcupines are about 60–90 cm long, with a 20–25 cm long tail. They can weigh from 4.5 to 13 kg (10 to 28 pounds). New quills grow to replace lost ones. 1. Fishers are a primary predator of porcupines, but quills have been found embedded in coyotes, pumas, bobcats, foxes, lynx, bears, wolves and even Great Horned Owls. Porcupines, on the other hand, have a vegetarian diet and mainly feed on fruits and branches. Each quill is hollow – it is yellowish in colour, with a black tip and is covered in tiny barbs. Because quills are so lightly attached, they come off easily when a predator encounters them. The amazingly strong front … Porcupines boast of a coat of needle-like quills, giving predators a snappy reminder that this animal is no easy meal. Porcupines with short quills around 4 inches (10 cm) long belong to the New World, while porcupines with quills that can grow up to 20 inches (51 cm) long, though there are some exceptions, belong to the Old World. Porcupines are listed as least concern or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Fewer porcupine rays are caught today as bycatch compared to years past, and researchers believe this means the species has been overexploited in its range and there are fewer individuals. They tend to mind their own business, getting their dander — and their quills — up only when threatened. Porcupines are mostly nocturnal, spending their evenings foraging for dinner. A porcupines’ attack will not lead to infection because each quill has a topical antibiotic. Your email address will not be published. Few of the species are found roaming in daylight. There are 11 species, in three types of Old World porcupines which are part of the Hystricidae family. A family of porcupines is called a prickle — really! When another animal attacks the porcupine, its quills detach, burrowing into the adversary’s flesh and inflicting painful, potentially deadly wounds. It also means that they are warm-blooded.. Warm-blooded animals are able to regulate their body temperature.. Porcupine, any of 25 species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn. The quills of New World porcupines are much smaller (about 4 inches or 10 centimeters long) but work just as well. Its flat feet and sharp, rounde… They’ve got soft hair, only their back, sides, and tail are usually mixed with sharp quills. Porcupines grow new quills to substitute the ones they lose. 2. They are found in two main regions of the world, so scientists group them into either Old World or New World porcupines. Although porcupines do not hibernate during the winter, they remain in their dens during especially cold or inclement weather. The length of quills varies by type. A greasy coating on porcupine quills contains antibiotics, possibly to protect the animal from infection if it is accidentally pricked by its own quills. During the wintertime, porcupines eat a lot of tree bark, as well. They’re typically solitary, though New World porcupines may pair up. Each quill is marked with black and white bands. This means that they have fur, are born life, and drink milk when they are babies. Porcupines are also known to eat bugs and small lizards every now and then. The origin of "porcupine" can be traced back to Old English and French words. Thank you for listening. Weighing 5–16 kg (12–35 lb), they are rounded, large, and slow, and use aposematic strategy of defense. Some porcupines grow up to 36 inches (90 centimeters) long. The name porcupine comes from the Latin words ‘porcus’ and ‘spina’ which translate to mean pig spine. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Smaller, rigid quills that are 20 centimeters (8 inches) long are densely packed over the Old World porcupine’s rump and back. They like to eat leaves, stem, bark, fruit… Your email address will not be published. New World porcupines are part of the Erethizontidae family, which has four types and 12 species. The animal has the nickname in parts of North America of quill pig. Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) What they look like: The porcupine is a medium-sized rodent, that is related to mice, rats and beavers. #2. They will also eat bugs once in a great while. Porcupines are covered in about 30,000 quills. If the noise doesn’t work, the porcupine may try to charge backward into the predator. It’s probably a way to prevent infection from accidental self-quilling. They occur in various shades of brown, gray, and white. – Source. Depending on the species female porcupines have between one and four offspring. This means that no matter the temperature of the environment that the porcupine is in, their internal temperature will always be the same. The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. Some quills can be up to 51 centimeters (20 inches) long. Instead, the porcupette’s quills are soft and bendable, gradually hardening in the first few days after birth. The impact may shake nu… The average life expectancy of a wild porcupine is 5 to 6 years, while their captive counterparts have been known to live up to 10 years. Interesting And Fun Facts About Porcupine. A single porcupine can have more than 30,000 quills, which are actually sharp bristles of fused hair. Interesting Porcupine Facts 1. If two adults are together, it is usually a mated pair or siblings. An adult porcupine is about 50 cm long (20 inches), not counting the tail. When threatened, a crested porcupine stamps its feet, growls, and grunts to scare off the predator. Fun Facts About Porcupine Rays. This means they eat mostly vegetation. Porcupine Facts. A porcupine's prickly coat of quills is its first line of defence. They have a large body that is round and they move at a very slow pace. Porcupines aren’t social animals. Porcupines have soft hair mixed with sharp quills. They have curved claws and powerful curved feet to grasp and climb. The needles are not too firmly fixed in … 32 Capable Facts about the Gulf of California. Porcupine Quills are dangerous to dogs because once they make contact with the skin, the quills can migrate further in and cause internal damage. Porcupines are, however, not related to pigs. Porcupine babies, called porcupettes, are not born with sharp or barbed quills. They often take shelter in aardvark (Antbear) burrows which they modify to make more comfortable. The end of each quill has a small barb (like a fish hook) that snags the flesh, keeping the quill stuck in the enemy’s skin. It’s the prickliest of rodents. The Largest Porcupine Grows to Roughly 90 Centimetres. This rodent has rather long quills of up to 16 inches. It’s the prickliest of rodents. 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