The animal that Alex is talking about in this episode is known for its large quills that give them protection, but that’s not the only interesting thing about them. They have so many characteristics that make them unique from other animals. So, don’t come too close, because today we’re talking about one of Earth’s largest rodents: porcupines.
“Contrary to popular belief, their quills are attached to the porcupine’s body, so they can’t shoot them at you. But if they do lose a quill, another quill will grow back to replace it.”
Organizations
Sources
- National Zoo
- Feeding ecology of a porcupine
- Porcupine Diet.
- Maine.gov: Porcupine facts
- Scavenging Behavior
- Rodents for comparative aging studies: from mice to beavers
- Erethizontidae: New World porcupines
- Quillwork.
- Erethizontidae
- Porcupine diggings as a unique ecological system in a desert environment
- The Importance of Porcupines for Maintenance of Endangered Plant Populations
- African Wildlife Foundation
- Hinterland Who’s Who
- Canadian Wildlife Foundation
- Department of Natural Resources
- San Diego Zoo
- Porcupine Salt Cravings
- Porcupine Winter Dens
- How much DNA do humans share with other animals? – TRIVIA
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