# North American Porcupine (*Erethizon dorsatum*) The North American Porcupine is a spiky animal that loves to climb trees! It has sharp quills that help protect it from predators. These friendly creatures are mostly nocturnal and enjoy munching on leaves and bark. - **Category:** [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/mammal) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 32 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Porcupine ![North American Porcupine](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424430/objects/552.jpg) ## Appearance The North American Porcupine is a large, stocky rodent covered in thousands of sharp, barbed quills, giving it a distinctive spiky appearance. Its fur varies from yellowish-brown to dark brown or black, often with lighter tips on its quills. It has short legs, a muscular tail, and small eyes and ears. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Mammalia - **Order:** Rodentia - **Family:** Erethizontidae - **Genus:** Erethizon ## Interesting facts - A baby porcupine is called a 'porcupette' and is born with soft quills! - Porcupines love salt and will chew on anything salty, even tool handles! - Their quills are actually modified hairs, not just pointy spines, and are hollow! - They can wag their tail like a club to embed quills into an attacker! ## Special abilities - **Quill Defense:** North American Porcupine can detach its barbed quills when threatened, making them stick in predators because of their unique design. - **Arboreal Acrobat:** North American Porcupine has strong claws and a gripping tail that helps them climb trees for food and safety with ease. - **Winter Bark Eater:** North American Porcupine can digest tough tree bark in winter because of special gut microbes, helping them survive when food is scarce. - **Odor Signal:** North American Porcupine can release a strong musky odor when startled that helps them warn predators before using quills. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 75-120 cm - **Weight:** 5-15 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 5 km/h - **Litter Size:** 1-2 - **Gestation:** 205-215 days ## Diet & Feeding They mostly eat tree bark, leaves, buds, and twigs, especially in winter when other food is scarce. - **Age differences:** Young porcupettes nurse from their mother, then gradually transition to eating soft vegetation and eventually tough tree bark. - **Primary Foods:** Tree bark, Leaves, Twigs, Buds, Berries, Aquatic plants - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Fisher (*Pekania pennanti*) — One of its few specialized predators, adept at flipping the porcupine. - **Hunts:** [Coyote](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coyote) (*Canis latrans*) — Preys on porcupines, often trying to avoid their sharp quills. - **Eats:** [Quaking Aspen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/quaking-aspen) (*Populus tremuloides*) — A favored food source, especially its nutritious inner bark during winter. - **Eats:** [Balsam Fir](https://www.snappit.app/explore/balsam-fir) (*Abies balsamea*) — Feeds on its needles and bark, particularly in coniferous forest habitats. ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Nocturnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nocturnal): Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day. ## Collections - [Mammals](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/mammals) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low If you see a porcupine, admire it from a distance. Don't try to touch it because of its sharp quills. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify North American Porcupine? Compare ears, muzzle, tail, feet and coat markings. Size is hard to judge without something nearby for scale, and young mammals may not have adult coloring yet. Mammal Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is North American Porcupine? 75-120 cm ### How much does North American Porcupine weigh? 5-15 kg ### How long does North American Porcupine live? 5-10 years ### How fast can North American Porcupine move? 5 km/h ### What does North American Porcupine eat? They mostly eat tree bark, leaves, buds, and twigs, especially in winter when other food is scarce. ### Where is North American Porcupine usually found? Forests ### How does North American Porcupine hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Algonquin Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/algonquin-provincial-park) — Ontario, CA · State Park - [Bear Swamp](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-swamp) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Bristol Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bristol-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carriage-paths-bridges-and-gatehouses) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Five Channels Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/five-channels-dam) — Michigan, US · Historic Site - [Glen Haven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glen-haven) — Michigan, US · Historic District [View all places to see North American Porcupine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/north-american-porcupine) ## Watch - [Play video: North American Porcupine](https://www.snappit.app/videos/north-american-porcupine) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ryDm2N00Ui4) ## More Mammals - [Eastern Fox Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-fox-squirrel) (*Sciurus niger*) - [Eastern Cottontail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-cottontail) (*Sylvilagus floridanus*) - [Eastern Chipmunk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-chipmunk) (*Tamias striatus*) - [California Ground Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-ground-squirrel) (*Otospermophilus beecheyi*) --- Source: [North American Porcupine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/north-american-porcupine)