Nine Porcupine Facts

The porcupine is one of the world's largest rodents and weigh about 12 kg (26 pounds).

There are about thirty different species of porcupine.

Porcupines have weak eyes and rely entirely on their nose for food search.

One of the olfactory signals porcupines use is a pungent odor that lets potential predators know they have raised their quills and they are not afraid to use them.

Salty is porcupine’s favorite flavor, so it will eat anything salty, such as axe handles, canoe paddles, etc.

Female porcupines mate once a year, and often the males bring them into estrus by urinating on them.

Babies are called porcupettes and they are born with soft quills, which will begin to harden in a few hours to days.

Young porcupine will leave its parents after a few months and begin solitary life.

Some porcupines have up to 30,000 quills on their body. Porcupines cannot shoot out their quills, but they will be easily released when predators touch the animal.