It’s not unusual to see porcupines as roadkill. I’ve often seen them high up in trees, sometimes a few together. But this morning, I managed to see a couple very close up along the Salt Marsh Trail. This male was gazing into the rising sun and didn’t seem too disturbed by my presence.
The quills on his back looked sharp and plentiful. An average adult has about 30,000 of them. As he turned around I could see his vulnerable underbelly. Some predators, such as fishers, are adept at flipping porcupines over to reveal this soft spot. Quills aren’t thrown, but become embedded in a predator’s skin when the porcupine whacks his tail at them. The warm body temperature of the recipient makes the tiny barbs on the quills expand, lodging them even more securely into their flesh.
My dog, an Alaskan Malamute and wolf cross, would often bite down on porcupines. Several times he ended up with the quills lodged on his tongue, on the roof of his mouth and down his throat. An animal left in this condition in the wild would be unable to eat and die of starvation.
On the walk back, I noticed the porcupine had climbed down from the tree and was walking along the trail. I guess he didn’t feel up to a second photo op.
Further along the trail back, I heard some strange sounds coming from a spruce tree. There, barely discernible among the green needles, was a second porcupine resting on top of a spruce bough. Somehow, the branch was able to handle its weight.
Porcupines are protected in some areas, as they provide an easy source of food to humans lost in the woods. They can be killed with a quick whack on their nose with a stick.
These are intriguing photos. I find porcupines quite attractive. Miss Sadie, however, was pleased to have the information about the best way to dispatch one. The victim of a dastardly quilling last year about this time, she is nosing about the yard in search of a suitable whacking stick.
Gerry, my dog never learned to stay away from porcupines. Hopefully Miss Sadie is smarter and can learn from experience.
Handsome guy up there in the tree just chillin’ and watchin’ the sun come up – cool pictures, Amy! I always learn something when I come here to visit!
Cindy Lou, he was indeed content to sit there and do just that. I’m glad you can learn something new on each visit, though I hope you never get lost in the woods and need to rely on porcupine-whacking techniques learned here in order to survive 🙂
yikes. i don’t know if i could whack one on the nose and then eat it, now matter how hungry. i mean, how would you prepare it, remove all the quills?
Yes you have to remove the quills, but then you could use them to make a basket 🙂
Here is a link to a BBC article that received responses from all over the world regarding eating porcupine. Curry and BBQ seem to be most popular.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4157330.stm
I don’t know if I could whack one on the nose either, but if I was in a survival situation I might be less reluctant to try, especially if I had children to feed.
very fascinating. the ones in africa seem a lot more imposing. i would definitely try it with a good BBQ sauce. but i’d still be wary of removing the quills.
[…] more information on our local porcupines, see Porcupines Along Salt Marsh Trail. […]
Please tell me I’m not doomed here. Our dog had her third batch of quills and skunk spray last evening while playing with the kids on our salt marsh.
Shelley, our dog never seemed to learn to stay away from the porcupines. He kept getting quills on his snout, in his mouth and even down his throat. Though we tried taking them out ourselves we would usually end up going to the vet’s to make sure they were all removed. He often needed an antibiotic too. Sometimes he had to be made unconscious for the procedure. It was all terribly expensive.
There have always been porcupines in the boggy woods behind our home. At this time of year, the baby porcupines are easy targets for dogs. As your dog gets older, it will probably become less aggressive and not tangle with as many porcupines or skunks. Until then, I’d watch him carefully and put him on a leash while in porcupine territory, at least at this time of year.
Porcupines climb trees? Wow, I didn’t know that. We don’t have them here (in Wales, in the UK) but we do have Hedgehogs which are another spiny creature. Do porcupines hibernate?
Hi Val,
Yes they do climb trees and can sometimes be found sleeping in them during the day. I think they’re larger than your hedgehogs. They release their quills when threatened which is bad news for curious dogs. They don’t hibernate during the winter but tend to keep a lower profile.
[…] more on porcupines, see: Bark Nibblers Porcupines in Apple Trees Porcupines Along the Salt Marsh Trail Share […]