I used to be a zookeeper working with North American porcupines. The quills are just hair (one of three types of hair the porcupine grows along with the black insulating fur and long yellowish guard hairs). Quills cannot be "shot" out as shown in this ridiculous CGI fantasy; however, if you're dumb enough to reach for the animal, it will turn its back and flip its tail at you VERY quickly and nail you with the quills (like flipping a wet towel at your little brother). The quills, with their backward-facing scales on a needle-sharp point, then stick in your skin. They fall off the animal easily from a narrow stem and are grown back just like our hair. If the quills are not removed from your skin (it takes pliers to do it, too. And it hurts. I know first-hand LOL) they continue burrowing forward into the flesh. Porcupines are arboreal, so this legend may have come from quills falling off the porcupine onto someone below the tree. Fun fact: the quill tips have a waxy coating with antimicrobial properties, so if you pull them out quickly you're unlikely to get an infection in the small punctures.
Zookeeper (again) forgot to answer the above question about how quickly the quills grow back. They are continuously growing new ones, so at all times they have quills at various lengths all over. The oldest ones are shed regularly, so it is not unusual to find them lying on the ground where porcupines live. They are born with a full complement of quills, though they are soft at first and harden after birth. They lie flat against the porcupine like the hair on your arm, so you can stroke a friendly porcupine just like a cat, nose to tail direction. When the porcupine is surprised, frightened, or disturbed, the quills will stand out from the skin just like us getting goose bumps. They have no quills on their nose, belly, chest, or paw pads, so they curl noses down and will turn their back and tail toward the threat. Cougars eat them by being large and strong enough to flip a porky on their back to access the soft belly.
You're welcome! I was too lazy to sign in earlier to ID myself. "Sister" loves answering questions about animals, especially the ones I used to work with. I got too close to the tail of one of our more skittish porcupines one morning while cleaning and got nailed in the hand with about 20 quills--through a rubber glove. A visitor watching the proceeding asked, "Does that hurt?" I had to smile and say, "Yes. it does. Excuse me." Then I scurried back to the office to find the pliers. Ouch. Had to pluck them out before I could get the glove off.
Saw a video of a porcupine hanging onto something while at what looked like a vet's office. Gal got too close and the porcupine did an interesting body swerve maneuver and nailed the gal's chest.
Out hunting 20 or more years ago I saw the largest porcupine I'd ever seen. I was driving a Camry back then and I swear that critter would have covered the entire hood. I'm sitting in the car in a little pull out facing the road waiting for the legal time to enter the woods. I noticed this large black amorphous hump passing by in front of the car. I quickly turned the lights on and off and got the biggest shock of my life seeing that critter.
Then I told her the ONE time I have seen a porky in tbe wild. White Mountains, AZ. Out for a walk, 1980?, saw a 3 foot tall jack pine. BUT IT WAS MOVING. It was a porky. I looked at him, he looked at me, I swear he flipped me the bird and went on his way. I obliged him tbe best I could. Very glad the pooch was not with me! Tom762
If it survives outside with nobody feeding it, I leave it DaFuq Alone. He may just have learned that.
ReplyDeleteHow quickly to quills grow back? Seems he shot a lot at that idiot.
ReplyDeleteThey don't shoot quills, but a slap from a covered appendage hurts the same. Mom and Dad will have fun removing them.
DeleteCGI
ReplyDeleteI've done some pretty stupid stuff but even I know better to mess with a porcupine.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a zookeeper working with North American porcupines. The quills are just hair (one of three types of hair the porcupine grows along with the black insulating fur and long yellowish guard hairs). Quills cannot be "shot" out as shown in this ridiculous CGI fantasy; however, if you're dumb enough to reach for the animal, it will turn its back and flip its tail at you VERY quickly and nail you with the quills (like flipping a wet towel at your little brother). The quills, with their backward-facing scales on a needle-sharp point, then stick in your skin. They fall off the animal easily from a narrow stem and are grown back just like our hair. If the quills are not removed from your skin (it takes pliers to do it, too. And it hurts. I know first-hand LOL) they continue burrowing forward into the flesh. Porcupines are arboreal, so this legend may have come from quills falling off the porcupine onto someone below the tree. Fun fact: the quill tips have a waxy coating with antimicrobial properties, so if you pull them out quickly you're unlikely to get an infection in the small punctures.
ReplyDeleteZookeeper (again) forgot to answer the above question about how quickly the quills grow back. They are continuously growing new ones, so at all times they have quills at various lengths all over. The oldest ones are shed regularly, so it is not unusual to find them lying on the ground where porcupines live. They are born with a full complement of quills, though they are soft at first and harden after birth. They lie flat against the porcupine like the hair on your arm, so you can stroke a friendly porcupine just like a cat, nose to tail direction. When the porcupine is surprised, frightened, or disturbed, the quills will stand out from the skin just like us getting goose bumps. They have no quills on their nose, belly, chest, or paw pads, so they curl noses down and will turn their back and tail toward the threat. Cougars eat them by being large and strong enough to flip a porky on their back to access the soft belly.
ReplyDeleteBrother...thank you for that! You are my goto for all animal stuff from now on...
DeleteYou're welcome! I was too lazy to sign in earlier to ID myself. "Sister" loves answering questions about animals, especially the ones I used to work with. I got too close to the tail of one of our more skittish porcupines one morning while cleaning and got nailed in the hand with about 20 quills--through a rubber glove. A visitor watching the proceeding asked, "Does that hurt?" I had to smile and say, "Yes. it does. Excuse me." Then I scurried back to the office to find the pliers. Ouch. Had to pluck them out before I could get the glove off.
DeleteSaw a video of a porcupine hanging onto something while at what looked like a vet's office. Gal got too close and the porcupine did an interesting body swerve maneuver and nailed the gal's chest.
DeleteKelly, sorry I called you brother....you rock!
DeleteWTF...that was from me....bdoc...
DeleteThe name is Dumass.
ReplyDeleteOut hunting 20 or more years ago I saw the largest porcupine I'd ever seen. I was driving a Camry back then and I swear that critter would have covered the entire hood. I'm sitting in the car in a little pull out facing the road waiting for the legal time to enter the woods. I noticed this large black amorphous hump passing by in front of the car. I quickly turned the lights on and off and got the biggest shock of my life seeing that critter.
ReplyDeleteNemo
I have never seen one outside of a zoo, but I would have the common sense not to approach one...
DeleteShowed the video to Mom.
ReplyDeleteThen I told her the ONE time I have seen a porky in tbe wild. White Mountains, AZ. Out for a walk, 1980?, saw a 3 foot tall jack pine. BUT IT WAS MOVING. It was a porky. I looked at him, he looked at me, I swear he flipped me the bird and went on his way. I obliged him tbe best I could. Very glad the pooch was not with me!
Tom762