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Fast Facts:

The North American Porcupine is easily recognized by its many quills which can number up to 30,000.
The Porcupine does not actually throw its quills, but they are easily disengaged if touched. The barb on the end of quill makes it difficult to remove.
Native Americans used their quills in their costumes and various artifacts, and used them for meat.

North American Porcupine

Scientific Name:	Erethizon dorsatum
Classification:	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Erethizontidae
Status:	Not listed
Range:	North America
Habitat:	Wooded areas
Diet:	Tree bark, conifer needles, leaves, seeds, fruit
Size:	Length: 2-3 feet plus a tail up to 1 foot. Weight: 8-15 pounds
Lifespan:	17 yrs.
Location:
Print Fact Sheet	Porcupine

Special Features

The quills become erect whenever the North American Porcupine is threatened.
The hollow quills give the Porcupine extra buoyancy in the water enabling it to swim easily.
Porcupines have sharp claws and hard, bare foot pads for climbing. There are 4 claws with a vestigial thumb on the front and 5 on the back.
There will be several different dens in hollow logs or rocky crevices within their territory.
Poor vision but excellent senses of hearing and smell.

Social Structure & Behavior

They spend most of the time high in the trees eating bark. Nocturnal.

Reproduction:
Sexual maturity at 1.5-2.5 years. Gestation 7 months. Usually single birth. Babies are born with long black hairs and the quills are short and soft.