#Erethizon

[birdblues]

North American Porcupine

#north american porcupine #porcupine #Erethizon dorsatum #Rodentia #Erethizontidae #Erethizontinae #Erethizon #upl

[snototter]

North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) in Alaska, USA

by M. Torre Jorgenson

#north american porcupine #porcupines #rodents #Erethizon dorsatum #erethizon #Erethizontidae #rodentia #mammalia #chordata #wildlife: alaska #wildlife: usa

[briefbestiary]

Bouncing spiny critters. Resilient things, their thick quills, fur, and skin protect them from the majority of harm in their reckless rebounding.

#BriefBestiary #bestiary #digital art #fantasy #folklore #legend #fearsome critters #rubberado #erethizon neoprenicum #beast #american folklore #american legend

[coyotydave]

North American Porcupine by Coyoty Via Flickr: Erethizon dorsatum. At Southwick's Zoo in Mendon, Mass.

#Southwick's Zoo #Mendon #Massachusetts #MA #Mass #zoo #nature #animal #fauna #North American porcupine #North American #porcupine #Erethizon dorsatum #quills #wild #life #wildlife #square #square format #Animal Planet #New England #trees #branches #flickr

[myrmik]

#porcupin Canada #animals #baby animals #laurentides #nature #forest #animal #baby #porc-épic #saint-Jérome #faune sauvage #faunequébecoise #québec #forest animals #wildlife #automne #autumn #babyporcupin #Erethizon dorsatum #Canadian Animalis #faune canadienne

[1mysteriousstranger]

North American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum

#Erethizon dorsatum #Porcupine #cute #critter #animal #wildlife

[poll-position]

#poll #polls #animals #plants #insects #spiders #science #gaming

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Contrary to popular belief, porcupines can’t throw their quills. However, the foot-long barbs are loosely attached to the porcupine’s skin and will easily become embedded in any animal that comes too close. Over time, any lost quills will be regrown, and a single porcupine may have over 30,000 at a time.

(Image: A North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) by Ashley Conti)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

#porcupines #Rodentia #Hystricidae #Erethizontidae #Old World porcupines #New World porcupines #rodents #mammals #uncharismatic facts

[antiqueanimals]

Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, vol. 11, Mammals II. 1972. Illustrated by Peter Barrett.

1.) African brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus)

2.) Long-tailed porcupine (Trichys fasciculata)

3.) North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

4.) Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis)

5.) Stump-tailed porcupine (Coendou rufescens)

6.) Bristle-spined porcupine (Chaetomys subspinosus)

#rodents #porcupines #african brush-tailed porcupines #long-tailed porcupines #north american porcupines #brazillian porcupines #stump-tailed porcupines #bristle-spined porcupines #Peter Barrett

[cypherdecypher]

Animal of the Day!

American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

(Photo from Smithsonian National Zoo)

Conservation Status- Least Concern

Habitat- Canada; Western United States

Size (Weight/Length)- 9 kg; 90 cm

Diet- Leaves; Grasses; Fruit; Seeds; Tree bark

Cool Facts- Not only are the quills of an American porcupine extremely dangerous, but they can be a hazard to the porcupine too. The barbed quills prevent even the most hungry predators from getting a nibble. However, American porcupines climb trees to reach fresh leaves even though they aren’t very good climbers. Falling from the trees can cause the porcupine’s quills to snap and lodge into the porcupine’s body. Luckily, their skin is covered in an antibiotic and prevents the porcupine from getting an infection from its own quills. Sleeping in the trees during the day, you might want to glance up and make sure you don’t have a bundle of detachable spines falling on your head.

Rating- 13/10 (Possibly the cutest nose in the animal kingdom.)

#Animal of the day #Animals #Mammals #Friday #November 18 #American porcupine #Porcupine #biology #science #conservation #the more you know

[porcupiney]

little wave of solidarity in the meadow to all my fellow rodent therians 👋 🌺

love, your local erethizon dorsatum <3

#rodentkin #rodent therian #therian #hiii i wanna talk to other rodents pls feel free to reply to the post or dm me #idk how well known it is that porcupines are rodents... when i tell people they always seem surprised lol #anyway yea um....... rodents talk to me #tuesday talks #porcuposting

[bisphenol-a]

Erethizon dorsatus; Laurentides, Québec

[bestbackroads]

[jdhikes]

Porcupine: Species Spotlight Issue #2

Did you know that porcupines existed in the northeastern United States? Come check out these little balls of spikes.

Did you know that Porcupines existed in the northeastern United States? I sure didn’t. That was why when I hiked in Minnewaska at the beginning of the winter in 2022, I was shocked to come across these little balls of spikes curled up on the side of the trail. What are Porcupines? The North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) are part of the rodent order meaning they are relatives, albeit…

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#hike #Nature #naturephotography #porcupines #species #trails #wildlife

[accessoriespolh]

Are porcupines nocturnal

Are porcupines nocturnal skin#

Slow and somewhatawkward, these nocturnal creatures are more graceful in trees than onthe ground. The range of porcupines covers most of the western United States.Their preferred habitat is dense forest, making Crater Lake NationalPark suitable for a healthy porcupine population. The quills are filled with a spongy material, not air, so theydo not shrink or soften. A misconceptionis that a quill will shrink if the end is cut off, making it easier topull out. If a vital organ is struck, they can be fatal. Muscle action combines with these scales to workthe quills deeper and deeper into the unfortunate's body, becoming verypainful. In truth, it slaps its victims with its tail only inself-defense and does not have the ability to project its quills, nomatter how frightened. Folklore describes a creature that is quick to firequills at enemies. It is these scales that hold a quill tightly in apredator's skin. These modified hairshave tiny scales like a fish, with each scale acting like a tiny barb ona fish hook. An average of 30,000quills grow only on their backs, sides, and tails. Naturalist Uldis Roze describesthem as "a microcosm in the great evolutionary adventure of nature."ĭark in color, they have a somewhat "frosted" appearance becausetheir quills are yellow to white with a black tip. While porcupines may not beconsidered great beauties of the natural world, they have proventhemselves to be masters of survival. It is believed thatporcupines originated in South America and are most closely related tothe guinea pig and the chinchilla. Fossils of porcupine ancestors date back to theOligocene epoch, about 30 million years ago. In Morocco however, parts of the porcupine are sold and used in traditional medicines and spiritual rituals.Measuring up to 2.5 feet in length and weighing thirty pounds, theNorth American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is one of theworld's largest rodents. Hunting the crested porcupine is illegal in Europe. They are considered a nuisance by many farmers, often destroying crops and trees. People use the quills as bobbers on their fishing lines to indicate when a fish has taken the bait.Īfrican crested porcupine are labeled as “least concerned”, meaning they are not threatened on the IUCN Red List. The quills are lightweight, and will float on water. Now, people still use quills, but now they put the parts of a ballpoint pen into the hollow quill. Throughout history, people have used porcupine quills dipped in ink to write on parchment. Because the crested porcupine’s quills shed naturally often, collecting them for ornamentation is fairly easy. The quills may be used whole, creating large sweeping displays, or cut into smaller beads that can be sew onto fabric. Some African tribal people use their guard hairs and quills for ceremonial clothing including masks, vests, jewelry, and totems. Meat from the African crested porcupine, much like other rodents, is considered a delicacy in Kenya and other parts of Africa. At night, the porcupine will collect bones to chew on for their teeth and to get calcium. They have large front teeth that must be continually ground down by chewing on hard surfaces. Their diet consists of mostly plants and roots, but they may also eat insects and small vertebrae. Crested porcupines live on the ground in the grasslands, forests and rocky outcrops of Africa. As the porcupettes grow, they begin to forage for food while still nursing milk from the mother. Their quills will begin to harden at about 2 weeks of age. When they are born, porcupettes' eyes are open, their front teeth are developed, and their quills are soft. Instead, they are sharp at one end, have microscopic ridges along the shaft, and are almost completely hollow.īaby African crested porcupine are well-developed at birth. Unlike the porcupines in North America, the crested porcupines' quills are not barbed. It is not painful for a crested porcupine to lose their quills, often they will shed and regrow like human hair.

Are porcupines nocturnal skin#

When the quills make contact, they are easily released from the porcupine’s skin and then eventually grow back. If a threat continues to advance towards a porcupine they will turn and back towards it, thrusting their quills. Some of the tail quills can be shaken against each other, making a rattling noise to help warn off predators. When they are feeling disturbed, they will flare their frontmost quills up and stomp their feet. Crested porcupines do not throw their quills. The quills are a variety of lengths with the longest growing almost 1 foot in length. They are almost entirely covered with bristle-like guard hair, in addition to having quills from the head to their tail. Adult African Crested Porcupines can weigh up to 60 pounds, and can grow to 3 feet in length excluding their tail.

#Are porcupines nocturnal

[linkspolh]

Are porcupines nocturnal

#Are porcupines nocturnal skin

#Are porcupines nocturnal skin

An unpleasant scent is produced from the skin above the tail in times of stress, and is often seen with quill erection. The use of odor is when the sight and sound have failed. The rattling of quills is aided by the hollow quills at the back end of the porcupine. This behaviour is often paired with body shivering, which is used to further display the dangerous quills. The incisors vibrate against each other, the strike zone shifts back and the cheek teeth clatter. Along with the raising of the quills, porcupines clatter their teeth to warn predators not to approach. This, along with the raising of the sharp quills, deters predators. The dark body and coarse hair of the porcupine are a dark brown/black and when quills are raised, present a white strip down its back mimicking the look of a skunk. A porcupine's markings are black and white. A porcupine's colouring aids in part of its defence as most of the predators are nocturnal and colour blind. These displays are ranked from least to most aggressive. There are four main displays seen in a porcupine which are quill erection, teeth clattering, emitting of odour, and attack. Often, these displays are shown when a porcupine becomes agitated or annoyed. Defense ĭefensive behaviour displays in a porcupine depend on sight, scent, and sound. Porcupines have become a pest in Kenya and are eaten as a delicacy. It is mostly nocturnal, but will sometimes forage for food in the day, eating bark, roots, fruits and berries, as well as farm crops. The African porcupine is not a climber and forages on the ground. The North American porcupine is a herbivore it eats leaves, herbs, twigs, and green plants such as clover. Porcupines have a relatively high longevity and hold the record for being the longest-living rodent, with one individual named Cooper living past 32 years. The New World porcupines evolved their spines independently (through convergent evolution) and are more closely related to several other families of rodents than they are to the Old World porcupines. The two subfamilies of New World porcupines are mostly smaller (although the North American porcupine reaches about 85 cm or 33 in in length and 18 kg or 40 lb), have their quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees. The 11 Old World porcupines tend to be fairly large, and have spines grouped in clusters. Old World compared with New World species The two families of porcupines are quite different, and although both belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast order Rodentia, they are not closely related. Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram (2.2 lb) the crested porcupine found in Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa can grow to well over 27 kg (60 lb). Porcupines' spiny protection resembles that of the unrelated erinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian monotreme echidnas as well as tenrecidĪ porcupine is any of 58 species of rodents belonging to the families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Erethizon, and Chaetomys) or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys). Porcupines' colouration consists of various shades of brown, grey and white. Weighing 5–16 kg (12–35 lb), they are rounded, large, and slow, and use an aposematic strategy of defence. In taxonomic terms, they form the family Erethizontidae. They are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World counterparts, and generally smaller. They live in wooded areas and can climb trees, where some species spend their entire lives. The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. In taxonomic terms, they form the family Hystricidae. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. The Old World porcupines live in Italy, Asia (western and southern), and most of Africa. The largest species of porcupine is the third-largest living rodent in the world after the capybara and beaver. Despite this, the two groups are distinct from one another and are not closely related to each other within the Hystricognathi. Both families belong to the infraorder Hystricognathi within the profoundly diverse order Rodentia and display superficially similar coats of rigid or semi-rigid quills which are modified hairs composed of keratin. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family Erethizontidae. Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. Rodent with a coat of sharp spines PorcupineĬladistically included but traditionally excluded taxa

#Are porcupines nocturnal