porcupine

     

Family Erethizontiae

Trivia about porcupine

  • Most of the quills on the thin-spined species of this rodent are on its head
  • When threatened, the crested one of these erects & rattles its quills
  • Some of the quills of the Eurasian species can be 12 inches, equal to about half of its body length
  • In the woods, don't pet the crested variety of this rodent; its quills can be 14 inches long!
  • In the N. American species of this mammal, there are hundreds of microscopic barbs at the end of each quill
  • On average, one of these has 30,000 quills
  • The crested species of this is Africa's largest rodent; its quills can reach over a foot in length
  • You can use it to serve pieces of cheese at a party, stick them on its quills & let it walk around -- can I keep it?
  • Some of the quills of the Eurasian species can be 12 inches, equal to about half of its body length
  • A porky isn't a pig but this rodent that you don't want to approach too closely
  • This mammal's name comes from the corruption of a French phrase which meant "phony pig"
  • The fish seen here is named for its resemblance to this rodent
  • The fisher, a type of weasel, avoids this rodent's quills by attacking its face & flipping it over on its back
  • The name of this large rodent is from the middle French for "pig with spines"
  • I'm a real stickler for this rodent whose name means "thorny pig"
  • This rodent's quills are missing from the underside of the female's tail (fortunately for the male)
  • This animal's name comes from the Middle French for "thorny pig"