North American Porcupine
Betty
Alby, Mabel, Freddy, Gertie, and Walter Jr.
Range and Habitat: North American porcupines occur throughout the continent and can live in a variety of habitats, but prefer the variety of leaves and cover in forested areas.
A porcupine has over 30,000 quills covering its entire body except for its belly area. These quills act as an effective defense against predators. Each quill is barbed, like a fish hook, making it difficult to remove.
Porcupines are herbivores, eating only plant matter. They primarily forage for leaves, flowers, berries, bark, pine nettles, and twigs.
Fun Facts: Porcupines cannot shoot their quills but the quills easily detach when a predator makes contact. They belong to the rodent family, and are the second largest rodent in North America!
SSP (Species Survival Plan): As part of our conservation mission, Wildlife Learning Center is an active participant in the SSP program.
