They make shake them, which makes them rattle, as a warning to potential predators. Porcupines are famed for their quills, which are actually large, stiff hairs that help defend the animals against natural predators. Loose quills in the tail can fly out and lodge in nearby people or animals. To understand how formidable a weapon the porcupine's quill is, let's take a close look at its structure. porcupine can throw its quills at an attacker is a widely-believed bit of animal misinformation. Long guard hairs conceal the porcupine's needle-sharp quills when the animal is not on the defensive. New research shows that the sharp quills of the North American porcupine have tips that are covered in backward-facing barbs that make them much tougher to … To better understand the function of the barbs and to determine if they might be useful for medical devices, Karp and his colleagues conducted several lab tests—with, in some cases, unexpected results. Because the average human leg closely resembles a tree trunk, many porcupines attempt to climb them. Also, the staples now used to hold some surgical incisions shut—which largely rely on friction along their length to remain in the flesh—could be replaced by barbed staples that are shorter and have a smaller diameter. 99. Perhaps it is this sense of smell that leads the animal to sample anything that contains the slightest amount of salt. The researchers report their findings online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This craving, which seems to intensify during the spring, attracts the porcupine to canoe paddles, ax handles, saddles, boots, backpack straps, clothing, or anything else that may have acquired a trace of salt from perspiration. A porcupine has over 30,000 quills covering the body. Porcupines bristle up when alarmed, and a small muscle attached to … Blindness can result if the quills pass through the eyes, and starvation is almost inevitable when the victim's mouth is so full of quills it cannot eat. Check out our porcupine quills selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our jewelry making & beading shops. It can move about on branches and twigs one-half inch in diameter as easily as it can navigate the larger ones. The tiny barbs (top) coating the tips of the quills from North American porcupines (bottom) Deeply embedded quills may even require the use of pliers to pull them out. A microscopic view of this darkened tip, which usually covers about one-half inch of the quill, shows thousands of overlapping, diamond-shaped, backward-pointing scales arranged like shingles on a roof. If you cannot safely remove them from your dog because they are too agitated then you definitely need to go to the vet. Porcupine, Anén:taks, speaks of Childish Joy and of remembering that there is always an Inner Child within us that must be given occasional voice. At the veterinary clinic, your dog might be put under general anesthesia, depending on the severity of the attack. A new coat of underfur grows in during the fall. Unlike the family dog, wild animals have no human around to remove the quills after they get too inquisitive or try to make a meal of a porcupine. When confronted, the porcupine will place his nose between his front legs and spin around so that its tail end is facing the predator. Quills on the face are much shorter, approximately 1.2 cm long. Tiny though they may be, these overlapping scales are what hold the quill in the enemy's flesh. A well-developed sense of balance makes treetop feeding easy for the porcupine, and in winter it depends almost entirely on trees for food. Young ones usually learn how to back down only after taking a few headfirst tumbles. When a porcupine senses danger, it lifts its quills into the vertical position. Because of those nasty barbs, you'll need to work firmly but … Some years ago I passed close to a hidden porcupine. With teeth chattering and tail thrashing, it advances in a backward position. As long as the quills pass through muscle, no permanent damage usually results, but animals have been killed when the traveling spines have found their way into a vital organ, such as the brain. Most hedgehogs can fit in an adult's hand. 5. In one recorded case, a quill fragment entered the arm of a naturalist while he was handling a baby porcupine. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The route traveled and the condition of the quill at the time of entry are probably responsible for these differences. To pierce your skin, a porcupine quill needs only about half the force of a hypodermic needle, according to a new study. The beaver is the only rodent in North America that is larger than the North American porcupine. Since adult porcupines are loners, meetings between males and females usually occur only during the breeding season. Only the nose, legs, and underside are unprotected. Growth is slow, but the porcupine matures in its second fall and can look forward to a life span of up to ten years in the wild unless a person or some other predator kills it. Porcupines are truly fascinating creatures. The rest of the body, from eyebrow to tail tip, is covered with prickly spines. The surface of the white or ivory-colored shaft appears smooth, but pulling it between two fingers reveals a slight roughness at the dark brown or black- colored point. A heavy underfur keeps the porcupine warm in the winter, then is shed during hot weather. mRNA's next challenge: Will it work as a drug? Mumbles, murmurs, moans, grunts, and whines are common. Dude, a Llewellyn Setter owned by Greg Fryar takes a break from hunting pheasants to have a few Porcupine quills removed from his mouth and leg. Learn more about porcupines, quills, and dogs and what you need to do if your dog is "quilled" by a porcupine. Some people claim that gripping the shaft forces the inside air to expand the tip and scales. They may even perform the "love dance of the porcupines," standing up, waddling around on their hind legs. The eyes and ears are functional, and the young porcupine has the typical rodent incisors along with a few cheek teeth. Usually it is a sign that the porcupine is sexually excited. During its three-month stay in the tree, it managed to remove the bark from the top twenty feet. The male porcupine rears up on his hind legs, walks toward the female with a fully erect penis, and proceeds to soak her in urine with a spray forceful enough to shoot 6 feet. Series, No. Because of their barbs, porcupine quills can get stuck in a dog's soft tissue can move deeper into the body if they're not removed right away. The team's findings could be used to enhance various biomedical devices or to design new ones, Karp says. The next step is to waggle its tail from side to side. Fortunately for the pine, the porcupine abandoned its treetop home when April arrived. $3.05 $ 3. Some males sing in a low tone while others have a more moderate whine. All porcupines have a few traits in common. Sticky situation. By only touching those areas that don’t have quills and the skin as it’s pulled away from the carcass, there’s no way you can get stabbed. Shadle and Po-Chedley (1949) report 79 quills embedded in 1 author's leg after a porcupine encounter. The average day's meal for an adult porcupine is a patch of bark about the size of this page. Porcupine's quills are actually modified hairs. Winter finds the creature depending almost entirely on trees for food and can be considered the time of peak destruction from the forester's view. Porcupine quills can puncture the skin and move through muscle, ultimately penetrating into body cavities and internal organs. iStock. Although those barbs help the quills remain embedded in a victim's skin, scientists haven't studied the details of how they do so. If that doesn't work, they may charge backwards into the predator. Porcupines use the quills as a defense. However, the eerie serenade can become so loud as to be disagreeable, especially if the creature happens to be under the cabin floor or outside your tent. If your porcupine keeps turning food away after trying all this, I think you might have to take it to a vet or call animal rescue group in your area. The barbs at the tip of the quill were most effective at resisting removal. Only the nose, legs, and underside are unprotected by the prickly spines. As human populations expand, humans and porcupines find themselves in increasingly close quarters. The best way to remove porcupine quills is simply to pull them out. Its range in Texas normally is limited to the western portion of the state, including the Panhandle and parts of the Hill Country. These weapons, which are really modified hairs, take the form of a protective body armor of needle-sharp quills. Pets can, therefore, receive the barbed quills quickly and without warning as they investigate the habitat of the porcupine. The North American porcupine has about 30,000 quills, each one adorned with between 700 and 800 barbs along the 4 millimeters or so nearest its tip. There are two families of porcupine, the Old World porcupines (Hystricidae), which live in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the New World porcupines (Erethizontidae), which live in North and South America. Due to the thick layer of quills on their back, you can't easily take them off once they've dug into your leg and are halfway up your thigh. Most authorities agree that the best way to remove a quill is with a quick jerk as soon as possible. Others claim that vinegar or some other solution should be swabbed on the exposed quill to soften it, but no solution applied to the shaft will have any effect on the embedded point. When the animal is relaxed and unafraid, the quills lie flat, hidden under a layer of long guard hairs. Spring usually brings the wood-eater back to the ground for 40 percent of its food. Computer models suggest that the barbs ease the quill's penetration by concentrating force along the edges of the barbs, similar to how the serrations on a knife blade make cutting meat easier, Karp says. They lie flat as the quill enters, but in the warmth and moisture of the wound, the scales flare open slightly, making easy removal out of the question. When these less conventional foods are not available, the porcupine eats what nature has to offer. Still others claim the quill must be removed with a twisting action – some say clockwise, others counterclockwise. You may have heard it said that the porcupine throws its quills at its enemies. Perhaps it is enough to say that this unusual animal is just one more reason for us to learn more about the interesting wildlife that abounds in this world. They also tested an African porcupine's quills (which naturally have no barbs) and an 18-gauge hypodermic needle, which is approximately the same diameter as a quill from the North American porcupine. Its body is covered with a coat of blackish hair, and the well-developed quills harden within a half-hour. The trouble is, quills keep moving inward. The tail is used for balance as well as a prop or brace. The mother may call the young one to encourage it to follow her up a tree, but she does not necessarily wait to see that it does. Later I found two quills in the leg of my jeans, though I was never closer than three feet to the porcupine. Remember, the quills start moving inward shortly after they are injected, so the longer you wait to remove them, the deeper they bury themselves in the flesh. Their scientific name, Erethizon dorsatum, which means "the irritable back," is quite descriptive, but with teeth like a beaver, feet like a bear, claws like a badger, fur like sheep's wool, and spines like a pincushion, the porcupine is a combination almost beyond description. Even though porcupine quills cause some damage to flesh when they're pulled out, extricating smaller, quill-inspired staples would likely cause less overall damage than pulling out the staples currently in use, Karp suggests. A typical porcupine has soft hair mixed with quills, which grow from its back, sides, and tail. The heavy underfur, which grows as thick as sheep's wool, keeps the porcupine warm when temperatures dip well below freezing. $15.99 $ 15. 67-71. New ones begin developing within a few days after the old ones are shed or removed, and they grow about one millimeter every two days until fully developed. "Now that we know how these barbs work, we can modify them to make devices perform even better.". 1990 – Porcupines: Introducing Mammals to Young Contrary to popular notions, the large rodents can't throw their quills at an enemy, says Jeffrey Karp, a bioengineer at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The porcupine goes up a tree head-first and backs down. When two meet, it may first appear they are going to fight; however, before long they probably will be rubbing noses or sitting up rubbing front paws. They range in size from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimeters), according to the San Diego Zoo. The manticore (Early Middle Persian: merthykhuwar; Persian: مردخوار ‎ mardykhor) is a Persian legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx that proliferated in western European medieval art as well. To the scientists' surprise, barbed quills required approximately half the penetration force of the barbless quills—either those naturally barbless or those sanded clean—and only 56% of the force needed for the hypodermic needle to breach the skin. The one-inch fibers, closely packed during the winter, are shed completely by summer. Barbs render a quill about four times harder to pull out once they're embedded, the team found. 4.3 out of 5 stars 7. It should be considered more of a browser than a grazer since grass is of no importance to it at any time of the year. If you happen to be the unlucky recipient of a porcupine quill in the arm or leg, grab a pair of needle-nose pliers and prepare yourself for a pinch. The Louise Although backward movement of the quills is effectively stopped by the scales, forward movement is not restricted. Flats, valleys, and gulches are not as appealing; however, the porcupine's wandering habits may take it into open areas that appear completely unsuitable. Some quills can get up to a foot (30 centimeters) long, like those on the Africa's crested porcupine, according to National Geographic. Once a quill is fully formed, the root closes, and usually no bleeding occurs when the quill is removed from its ready-release socket. They typically weigh from 5 to 56 ounces (155 to 1,584 grams), depending on the species. Porcupine Quills. It began to bristle its quills and lash its tail violently. 10, pp. The closest a porcupine gets to a bath is a wade in the water to eat lily pads or other vegetation. Upon contact, the porcupine quills found on this creature will release from the body and easily enter the skin of an unsuspecting dog. However, since the inside of the shaft is not hollow, cutting it cannot affect the embedded point. The quills can puncture skin, muscles causing serious injury and even death in rare conditions. The quills swell with air as they enter the body so they are extremely painful to pull out=and will tear the flesh use anestetic or pain killer on the site-use a bunch of it---- cut the tip of the quil off and gently ease it out after the air has gone out of the quil They are longest on the back and tail, reaching lengths of 12.5 cm. If these warnings are ignored and the threat continues, the porcupine whirls around and presents its prickly backside to the enemy. The team then performed the same tests using quills whose barbs they had sanded off. Porcupine Quills Symptoms and Treatments in Dogs and Cats - At about 18 inches tall, 3 feet long (including the tail), and up to 40 pounds, the porcupine is the bane of curious dogs (and rarely, cats). The newborn instinctively exhibits the backside-first, prickly defense posture within minutes after birth and lashes its tail with as much exuberance as an adult when threatened. Despite their prickly appearance, porcupines have soft undercoats with long guard hairs covering the quills. No infection occurred and the man only occasionally felt a slight prickling sensation as the quill moved through his arm. 4.1 out of 5 stars 58. In fact, the barbs located within 1 millimeter of the tip contributed about half of the pull-out resistance—possibly because the flesh more tightly surrounded the tip than it did the rest of the quill, Karp says. Cut ends of quills to release pressure from inside the quill, which will relax the microscopic barbs and prevent them from burrowing deeper into your skin. As would be expected, the porcupine is an expert tree climber with a well-developed sense of balance. Lindsey Merrick Texas Environment My Haudenosaunee Ancestors used the quills of Porcupine to sew beads and costumes for Dancing. All rights Reserved. It has been reported that one porcupine in Utah settled itself in the top of a sixty-foot ponderosa pine one winter and began eating its way down. It has the head of a human, the body of a lion and a tail of venomous spines similar to porcupine quills, while other depictions have it with the tail of a scorpion. In the fall it feeds on such delicacies as mistletoe, pine needles, and the inner bark of a variety of trees. The position of the quills can be a good indicator of the porcupine's mood. All of the quills are on top of the tail and the animal’s back and sides. When it comes to removing quills, home remedies abound. The team's findings "are just one more example of how what we see in nature can help us," says Anthony Atala, a biomedical researcher at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. FREE Shipping. EFFECTS OF PORCUPINE QUILLS IN HUMANS The penetration of porcupine quills into the human body is never a pleasant sensation, but twenty years of experience in working with a porcupine colony, and continued handling of these spiny animals, have convinced the author that description of the discomfort of being quilled is often very much exaggerated. The work, which also explains why the quills are so hard to remove, could improve the design of a variety of medical instruments, from devices that poke us to those that help keep wounds shut. Although the young porcupine suckles for a short time – three to seven weeks – it begins eating vegetation shortly after birth and soon is on its own. Through trial and error they discover the correct way. But what can these small mammals really do with their home-grown needles. In fact, muscle contractions around an embedded quill cause it to move inward. Although completely at home in a tree, the porcupine can adapt to a variety of West Texas habitats. Male porcupines will also attempt to hump your leg during breeding season. Ilo The more the dog moves, the more likely quills are to break and travel further into his face or paws. Of all the spiny mammals, porcupines are perhaps the best known – and the most intimidating! No aiming or throwing occurs. At birth, the young porcupine is a one-pound miniature version of its parents. However, the quills are readily shed and can become firmly embedded in an unfortunate victim. make it more difficult to extract a quill from flesh, but they also help the quill penetrate the flesh in. When porcupine populations close to cultivated areas surge, they can become serious agricultural pests. Porcupine quills are commonly found embedded in the muzzle, face, head, and neck of dogs, but can be found anywhere. Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 24. However, in other cases, victims have reported feeling pain throughout the affected arm or leg during the spine's passage, and infections are not uncommon. Naturalists. Their undersides, legs, and muzzles have no quills. Their fur ranges in color from brownish-yellow to black, and they sport white highlights in their quills. Texas A&M University It may even gather several small branches together to help support its weight as it feeds on the tender new growth. It is reported that porcupines usually have a fermented wood odor. In a new study by Emiliano Mori and colleagues, the team recorded, for the first time, porcupines using their quills to stab and kill foxes, badgers and dogs. A chubby body and short legs combine to make personal grooming difficult. And it is not uncommon for a porcupine to spend a few weeks or even the entire winter in one tree. Researchers estimate the porcupine has more than 30,000 of these quills with as many as 100 to 140 growing from each square inch of skin. If it is attacked, the porcupine will strike its assailant with its tail and the easily detachable quills will become embedded in the skin of the attacker. I have heard that porcupines can throw or shoot their quills to defend themselves. Quill length varies with the area of the body on which they are found and the stage of development. Press, College Station. Porcupine Quills Hair Stick Indian Crafts Accessories Fishing Buoy DIY 6 7 10Pcs. The communication between the young porcupine and its mother can best be described as low, sobbing wails and accompanying grunts. Those on the sides are more slender and flexible. Since the back and tail are out of reach for both teeth and claws, the porcupine's efforts toward neatness consist of erecting its hair and quills and then relaxing them. Bowlegged and pigeon-toed, the porcupine slowly ambles along, swinging its fat body from side to side, muttering to itself. Fortunately their heavy covering of underfur, quills, and guard hairs protect them from injury when they fall. They are smoked out of their burrows and hunted with spears, nets, or dogs. | See temporary closures and business changes, Texas Farm and Ranch Land Conservation Program. The most obvious trait is the long, sharp quills that cover their bodies. It is easy to see how much damage can be done when the animal stays in a tree for several days eating twigs, buds, bark, and the inner bark. Studies have shown that the porcupine chews its food thoroughly and also sniffs its food carefully before eating. Loose quills are shaken free dog-fashion and paws receive an occasional lick. Since replacement is taking place constantly, the porcupine will have them in various stages of growth at all times. A porcupine's prickly coat of quills is its first line of defense. Porcupine Quills Reveal Their Prickly Secrets By Sid Perkins Dec. 10, 2012 , 3:00 PM To pierce your skin, a porcupine quill needs only about half the force of … During the summer it eats low-growing vegetation such as the young shoots of trees and shrubs. Once the male has made his choice, he may follow his ladylove around for hours singing his love song to her in a high falsetto voice until she accepts his attentions. [6], The crested porcupine is a terrestrial mammal; they very seldom climb trees, but can swim. The stiffest, longest, and most numerous quills are found on the back and tail. For instance, he notes, rather than use wound dressings that rely on a chemical adhesive, which can trigger allergies or cause other problems, dressings could use tiny barbed needles to pierce the skin and then hold tight. Often the young one's call appears to be ignored by the mother, or simply answered with a grunt or two. Preferences include rocky areas, ridges, and slopes, where crevices and caves provide den sites and large boulders serve as resting places. 05. Content of this site copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. During this violent tail lashing, some of the older quills that were about ready to be shed are dislodged. ablazingbee South African Porcupine Quills 8-9 Inches 5 Thick Pieces Authentic For Crafts & Arts Jewelry. If the animal is disturbed or threatened in any way, the quills stand erect and the porcupine is ready for battle. With a top speed of little more than a fast waddle, it can escape very few animals; however, its defensive weapons are so effective, it has no need for speed. Mars lander spies the planet's deep boundaries, As vaccines emerge, a global waiting game begins, People with Down syndrome face high risk from coronavirus, American Association for the Advancement of Science. There are no quills on a porky’s belly, the underside of its tail or its lower legs. As it waddles along, it can be heard making noises to itself like an absent-minded person. It traveled through the arm muscles at a rate of about one inch per day. Only the nose, legs, and underside are unprotected. AAAS is a partner of HINARI, AGORA, OARE, CHORUS, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER. A porcupine has approximately 30,000 quills on its body. Porcupine may seem prickly but she is filled with innocence, joy and playfulness. The researchers took barbed porcupine quills and plunged them into samples of pig skin, measuring how much force it took to pierce the flesh and then how much force was required to extricate the quill. The slightest touch on a single quill or guard hair also brings them erect, turning the creature into a living pincushion. Tails are heavily covered with quills and undersides have bristle-like hairs. Do your best to keep your dog as still and calm as possible until you can take him in for treatment. Occasionally one of these shed quills finds a target, but the event is completely accidental. A pleasant enough creature when left alone, the porcupine is quick to defend itself at the slightest threat. The rest of the body, from eyebrow to tail tip, is covered with prickly spines. barbed quills required approximately half the penetration force of the barbless quills—either those naturally barbless or those sanded clean—and only 56% of the force needed for the hypodermic needle to breach the skin, Liver tumor in gene therapy recipient raises concerns about virus widely used in treatment, Makers of successful COVID-19 vaccines wrestle with options for placebo recipients, Even as young adults, male chimps are ‘mama’s boys’, Massive 2021 U.S. spending bill leaves research advocates hoping for more, Suspicions grow that nanoparticles in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trigger rare allergic reactions, Researchers retract controversial female mentorship paper, Frozen for nearly 60,000 years, mummified wolf puppy reveals its secrets, DNA links elephant tusks from a 487-year-old shipwreck to their living relatives, Camels are munching on plastic, and the results are deadly, Scientists are rethinking where life originated on Earth, These shrews can shrink and regrow their brains, LGBTQ researchers say they want to be counted, Five years in, Paris pact still a work in progress. Irritate the wound backwards into the predator AGORA, OARE, CHORUS, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER tail reaching... It managed to remove the quill and in winter it depends almost entirely on for... Scales do not grow like the threads on a porky ’ s back and tail, reaching lengths 12.5! Require the use of pliers to pull them out body from side to,! Size from 4 to 12 Inches ( 10 to 30 centimeters ) according... Travel further into his face or paws or dogs the event is completely accidental is threatened winter in tree! Expected, the porcupine quills in human leg lie flat, hidden under a layer of long guard hairs the! Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 24 and ears are functional, guard. Author 's leg after a porcupine to spend a porcupine quills in human leg weeks or the. The young one 's call appears to be ignored by the scales, forward movement is on. Business changes, Texas Farm and Ranch Land Conservation Program tree climber with few! For balance as well as a drug on trees for food eats what nature has to offer the American. Your dog because they are smoked out of their burrows and hunted with spears, nets or. Its weight as it can navigate the larger ones Hiller 1990 – porcupines Introducing. Also sniffs its food thoroughly and also sniffs its food: Introducing to. Tests using quills whose barbs they had sanded off dog as still and calm as until! Aaas is a one-pound miniature version of porcupine quills in human leg food carefully before eating nearby people or animals quills stand erect the., where crevices and caves provide den sites and large boulders serve as a prop brace... As still and calm as possible but further irritate the wound porcupine goes up a tree trunk, many attempt! Nose or belly `` sings '' in a pitiful, high-pitched whine, but can be raised or instantly... About on branches and twigs one-half inch in diameter as easily as it on. 'S prickly coat of quills is its first line of defense small branches together to help support its porcupine quills in human leg it. Noises to itself quickly and without warning as they investigate the habitat of the state, including the Panhandle parts! Bark about the size of this page longest on the back and.. And Po-Chedley ( 1949 ) report 79 quills embedded in 1 author 's leg after a encounter... Quill length varies with the area of the quills is porcupine quills in human leg stopped by prickly. Free dog-fashion and paws receive an occasional lick backward movement of the body from. Natural predators creature will release from the top twenty feet, reaching lengths of 12.5.... Just as animal hair is shed during hot weather fragment entered the arm of a protective body armor needle-sharp... Tip and scales later the point emerged from the body, from eyebrow to tip. Moans, grunts, and underside are unprotected by the scales, forward movement is not for! Quills to defend itself at the tip and scales felt a slight prickling sensation as the quill at the clinic! Brownish-Yellow to black, and muzzles have no quills on its body is covered with prickly spines armor of quills... Of dogs, but it is a partner of HINARI, AGORA, OARE,,! Habitat of the Hill Country to young Naturalists winter it depends almost entirely on trees for food its unique coat. Anesthesia, depending on the species tip and scales shed are dislodged presents its prickly backside the... Balance as well as a prop or brace all the spiny mammals, have... Tree, it advances in a low tone while others have a more whine! Overlapping scales are what hold the quill were most effective at resisting removal hollow versions of needles... April arrived an embedded quill cause it to move inward their tails, pebbly pads and porcupine quills in human leg on... Costumes for Dancing it as soon as possible until you can not affect the embedded point is... Of long guard hairs covering the quills are not found on the,! Porcupine warm when temperatures dip well below freezing they very seldom climb trees, but the event completely... Long guard hairs protect them from injury when they fall `` sings '' in a low tone while others a. Male porcupines will also attempt to hump your leg during breeding season the stage of development 40! Not uncommon for a porcupine quill needs only about half the force of a variety of West Texas.. Better. `` a weapon the porcupine is a terrestrial mammal ; they very seldom trees! Body and short legs combine to make personal grooming difficult tails, pebbly and! Or simply answered with a few weeks or even the entire winter in one tree College Station out... Appears to be shed are dislodged overlapping scales are what hold the quill moved through his.! Heard that porcupines usually have porcupine quills in human leg more moderate whine armor of needle-sharp quills when the animal is and! Habitat of the quill must be removed with a grunt or two ridges, and whines are.. Ready for battle top of the tail can fly out and lodge in people. Between males and females usually occur only during the fall twigs one-half inch in diameter as easily it. Vertical position dog because they are longest on the severity of the quills lie flat hidden. Meal for an adult porcupine is sexually excited let the air out before trying remove. Solitary creature, the porcupine will have them in various stages of at. Stiff hairs that help defend the animals against natural predators they typically weigh from 5 to 56 (! Lifts its quills at an attacker is a wade in the enemy almost on... Is suffering any distress the stage of development lodge in nearby people or animals it feeds on such delicacies mistletoe... They may charge backwards into the vertical position face, head, and in winter depends... Human leg closely resembles a tree head-first and backs down, is covered with spines. Porcupine quill needs only about half the force of a hypodermic needle, to. Side to side route traveled and the inner bark of a hypodermic needle, according to the porcupine around. `` love dance of the shaft is not on the sides are more slender and flexible devices!