Species of the Day: North American Porcupine

This morning, I had to drive into town to the Jackson Campus for a full day of a Non-Profit Financial Seminar.  I felt like I was back in my Environmental Institutions Management Graduate Class...but it was a good refresher, however very overwhelming from learning so much about finance.

But that is not the point of this entry: it was about my find this morning!  My first ever sighting and up close (but not too close) encounter with a PORCUPINE!

The Waddle!

They are such a unique animal.  Apparently they are very common throughout the entire country except for the Southeast.  I guess looking at the map in my mammal's field guide, Delaware is on the cusp of where they border, so I am not surprised that I have never seen one before on the east coast.

Seeing one this morning was really cool!  The one I was able to see, was really fat!  I would assume so since the winter season is practically here and everything is getting ready for the cold and snow.

Porcupines are the second largest rodent - clearly after seeing the one this morning, I can see why!  They have sharp quills (which are actually modified hairs!) that have a solid base, a hollow shaft, and a barbed tip. 

What is really cool about these quills are that they are fastened loosely to muscles that are located just under the skin on their rump and tail.  This allows the quills to easily be released and be embedded into predators or attackers.  Releasing quills are the final and last defense a porcupine will use when it is being threatened or endangered.  It will also chatter, growl, release musk as defense mechanisms.

They are found to come in a variety of colors from black to dark brown and to a light tan, beige color.  They are a large and stout mammal with short, stubby legs (clearly they waddle when they scurry across the ground); have a lumped back with long guard hairs on the front of their body with their quills extending down their back onto their tail.

Such a great morning find!

Porcupine

Update: So I will be including not just my adventures and stories from being out west on here, but I think my blog will also be my digital, electronic Naturalist Journal.  I need to start being better about recording my naturalist experiences and memories as well.  (Gotta keep up with my Naturalist Certification, huh?!?) So I will be including some Species Accounts (a little bit more detailed than my moose and porcupine entries).  I hope you find them interesting and cool.  It will be a great way to help me organize my natural history findings and records. 

So you will be immersed with Natural History Facts, Photos, and Drawings! 

So, Stay Tuned!

TheChristyBel

Worked Cited

Bowers, N., Bowers, R., & Kaufmann, K. (2004). Mammals of North America. New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin.