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Watch North American Porcupine Video
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.
Key details
- Length
- 75-120 cm
- Weight
- 5-15 kg
- Lifespan
- 5-10 years
- Top Speed
- 5 km/h
- Litter Size
- 1-2
- Gestation
- 205-215 days
Traits
FurrySolitaryArborealHerbivorousForestSpiky/ThornyKeystone SpeciesNocturnal
What this page adds
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.
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!
