Porcupines protect themselves by being covered by sharp spines, usually called quills. These rodents are quite large and live in forests . They are very adept at climbing trees and I have seen several, during the day, sound asleep up in a tree. These ‘quill pigs’ are herbivores, eating leaves, herbs, twigs, green plants and, during the winter, bark.

Although sometimes considered a pest by humans for gnawing at buildings and under vehicles, porcupines are very important to forests. One source of food they enjoy is mistletoe, which is a parasite on trees. They are also quite helpful in “thinning out dense stands of saplings and of killing weed trees are considered to be good forestry practices.”

There are two porcupine families in the world, Old World and New World porcupines. Although they both originate from the order of Rodentia, and they both have quills, they aren’t that closely related.

To see these adorable little critters upclose, follow Teddy Bear the porcupine on Youtube. In the following video you can see Teddy’s beaver like teeth and listen to its cute sounds as it interacts with its caregiver.

Sources:
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “quill” . Retrieved June 10, 2016.
“Porcupine.” Hinterland Who’s Who –. Canadian Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 09 June 2016.
“Porcupines, Porcupine Pictures, Porcupine Facts”. National Geographic. Retrieved June 10, 2016.