What does a North American porcupine look like? Porcupine: photo of a porcupine from North America. Population status, threats and protection

Porcupine is a mammal that belongs to the order of rodents, the porcupine family (Hystricidae).

In the classification of rodents, a separate family of arboreal or American porcupines (Erethizontidae) is distinguished, which live in Northern and South America. Outwardly, they are similar to animals from the porcupine family, but differ in their smaller size and shorter quills on the back of the back.

This article describes only the porcupine family.

Does a porcupine shoot quills or not?

Many people believe that the porcupine shoots quills at its enemies. In fact, this is a misconception based on the fact that porcupine quills do not adhere well to the animal’s body and are easily lost. But the porcupine cannot shoot them due to the absence of any anatomical adaptations and the shape of the quills themselves, which in any case are slightly curved and cannot be stabilized in flight. And the lightning-fast throw of an attacking porcupine, turning its back to the enemy and a sharp rebound back create the feeling that the animal has inserted a needle as if from some distance.

Poisonous porcupine quills are another common myth. The wounds from the injection are actually quite painful and take a long time to heal, which is not surprising, because the sharp quills of a porcupine can pierce even a boot. In addition, dirt usually accumulates on the quills, and the inflammation is caused not by the mythical porcupine poison, but by infection. In addition, porcupine quills are quite fragile, and debris may remain in the wound, causing suppuration.

Where does the porcupine live?

Porcupines live in Europe, North America (USA and Canada), South America, African countries, southeastern and Central Asia, India, in Transcaucasia. Representatives of the porcupine family inhabit a wide variety of biotopes: from tropical and subtropical forests to savannas, deserts and mountainous regions. Many species settle near human habitation and feed on agricultural lands.

The porcupine is a nocturnal animal; during the day it usually hides in rock crevices, caves, abandoned dens of other animals, or self-dug holes. The length of a porcupine burrow can reach 10 m, and the depth up to 4 m. The burrow usually has several “rooms”, holes, one of which is necessarily lined with fresh grass. Porcupines don't fall into hibernation, but in winter the activity of animals noticeably decreases, and most They spend time in their home.

Porcupines feed in the dead of night, moving several kilometers from their shelter in search of food. These rodents are not too afraid of people, so they often visit local cultivated lands - fields and melon fields, where they happily eat the fruits of human labor: watermelons, melons, and many other crops. In places where animals regularly exercise, noticeably trodden paths remain, along which an experienced tracker can easily find the animals’ shelter.

Porcupines feed mainly in pairs: the male and female walk side by side at a distance of about 30-50 cm from each other, and the male always stays slightly behind his companion. The porcupine is predominantly a herbivore: among the species there are true vegetarians, although some individuals occasionally, but with pleasure, eat various insects, other invertebrates and their larvae. According to experts, in this way animals make up for the deficiency mineral salts in organism.

The plant food of a porcupine is all parts of plants: rhizomes, tubers, shoots, leaves, and fruits. In the cold season, porcupines eat especially a lot tree bark.

Classification of porcupines

Soviet sources identify 4 genera of porcupines:

• Atherurus (Brush-tailed porcupines),
• Hystrix (Porcupines),
• Thecurus (Indonesian porcupines, landakis),
• Trichys (Long-tailed porcupines).

Some Russian sources list 5 genera, including the genus Acanthion (Malayan porcupines).

Foreign sources identify only 3 genera of porcupines, excluding the genus Acanthion and Thecurus:

• Genus Brush-tailed porcupines ( Atherurus)
  • Atherurus africanus)
  • Asian brush-tailed porcupine ( Atherurus macrourus)
• Genus Porcupines ( Hystrix)
  • Malayan porcupine ( Hystrix brachyura)
  • Javan porcupine ( Hystrix javanica)
  • South African porcupine ( Hystrix africaeaustralis)
  • Crested (crested) porcupine ( Hystrix cristata)
  • Indian porcupine ( Hystrix indica)
  • Stiff-spined porcupine ( Hystrix crassispinis)
  • Philippine porcupine ( Hystrix pumila)
  • Sumatran porcupine ( Hystrix sumatrae)
• Genus Long-tailed porcupines ( Trichys)
  • Long-tailed porcupine ( Trichys fasciculata)

Types of porcupines, photos and names

Below is a description of several varieties of porcupines:

• Malayan porcupine ( Hystrix brachyura)

quite a large and thick rodent. An adult animal grows in length up to 63-72.5 cm, while the weight of a porcupine varies from 700 g to 2.4 kg. The length of the tail is 6-11 cm, the color of the needles can be black and white or yellowish. Females give birth 2 times a year; there are usually 2-3 cubs in a litter. In nature, the Malayan porcupine feeds on bark, tubers and rhizomes of plants, and fallen fruits. A small part of the diet consists of invertebrates and carrion. Representatives of the species prefer to settle in forest areas and in human-cultivated lands at an altitude of about 1.3 km above sea level. Malayan porcupines live in Nepal, Northeast India, Central and Southern China, South-East Asia(Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore), including on the Malaysian peninsula, as well as on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.

• South African porcupine ( Hystrix africaeaustralis)

most large rodent Africa. The length of mature individuals is 63-80.5 cm with a porcupine body weight of 10 to 24.1 kg, with females being slightly heavier than males. The porcupine's tail grows to a length of 10.5-13 cm. Distinctive feature species is a white line running along the croup. The body of the porcupine is covered with spines up to 50 cm long, defensive needles up to 30 cm long and flat bristly hairs. The tail is decorated with a bunch of modified, hollow inside needles. Females breed once a year, bearing from 1 to 3 cubs weighing from 300 to 440 g. Representatives of the species are vegetarians who consume exclusively plant foods: leaves, shoots, plant rhizomes, bulbs, fallen fruits, and occasionally tree bark. IN wildlife Porcupines live about 10 years, in captivity 2 times longer. The South African porcupine lives in the territory South Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Kenya and many other countries. Porcupine lives on everyone plant landscapes, with the exception of forest areas, and rises into the mountains no higher than 2 thousand meters above sea level.

• Crested porcupine, aka crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata)

a large rodent, second in size only to the South American capybara and beaver. The name of the species comes from the hard crest adorning the animal’s head. The crested porcupine is the most common member of the family, so it is often called simply the porcupine. The length of adult individuals excluding the tail can reach 90 cm, the tail grows up to 10-15 cm. Well-fed male porcupines can weigh up to 27 kg, but on average the weight of rodents does not exceed 8-12 kg. The stocky body of the porcupine is densely studded with short and long quills, alternating black-brown and white flowers. The longest needles are relatively thin and grow up to 40 cm, the short needles are about 15-30 cm long, but reach a diameter of 4.5-5 mm. Between the long, sharp needles, which often fall out, there are hard, bristle-like hairs. In the middle of the back, the porcupine's quills are the sharpest and longest; on the sides, shoulders and sacrum the quills are short and blunt. Northern part The population breeds in early spring, and females bring 2-3, and sometimes 5 cubs once a year. Representatives of the species living in the south mate all year round, and females bear offspring two to three times a year. Crested porcupines are predominantly herbivorous rodents; in the warm season they feed on the green mass of plants. During the ripening of the crop, cucumbers, pumpkin, melons, watermelons, grapes and alfalfa are added to the diet. In winter, tree bark is used as food; porcupines rarely eat insects. Animals live in mountainous areas and foothills, on cultivated soils, and are sometimes found on desert sandy landscapes. Representatives of the species are widespread throughout almost the entire Middle East, including Iran and Iraq and further east, all the way to Southern China. They are found throughout India, living in Sri Lanka and some countries in Southeast Asia. Crested porcupines also live here and there in the southern and western parts of the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, the species’ range covers mainland Italy and the island of Sicily.

• Indian porcupine ( Hystrix indica)

enough close-up view porcupines with a body weight of about 15-18 kg and a length of up to 90 cm. In the Indian porcupine, like in most species, the quills are colored with black and white belts, which gives the impression of a variegated white-black-brown color. The belly and head are colored black-brown. The diet of rodents consists of various plant food, special preference is given to succulent bulbs and rhizomes of plants. Females breed 1-2 times a year, and the brood consists of 1-4 cubs. Indian porcupines are not picky in terms of habitat and are found in forests, savannas, deserts and mountainous landscapes at altitudes of up to 3.9 km above sea level. Despite the specific name, the species' range covers not only India, but also almost the entire southern territory of Asia - from the eastern part of Transcaucasia to Kazakhstan, Central and Southeast Asia.

• Javan porcupine ( Hystrix javanica)

an endemic species, whose representatives live only in Indonesia on the islands of Java, Bali, Sumbawa, Flores, Lombok, Madura. Rodents were probably brought to the island of Sulawesi from the island of Flores.

• Stiff-spined porcupine ( Hystrix crassispinis)

endemic to the island of Borneo, armed with especially strong and tough needles. These rodents are very similar in appearance to a closely related species, the Sumatran porcupine, living on the island of Sumatra, but they are larger in size and have thicker quills. The rough-spined porcupine lives in forests, mountainous landscapes up to 1.2 km above sea level, on cultivated lands and even in cities. The porcupine feeds on plants and also eats fallen fruits.

• Sumatran porcupine ( Hystrix sumatrae)

lives only on the island of Sumatra. Initially, it was part of the species of rigid-spined porcupines, but was later separated into an independent species due to its smaller body size and thinner quills. Adults grow to 45-56 cm in length and weigh from 3.8 to 5.4 kg, the tail length ranges from 2.5 to 19 cm. Sharp flat spines, ordinary hollow spines and numerous stiff bristles grow on the body of rodents. The length of the porcupine's bristles and quills does not exceed 16 cm. The general color of the animal is brown, but approximately ½ of the quills and bristles have white ends. The underside of the neck of rodents may be covered with white spots. Sumatran porcupine feeding various types plants, prefers to settle in forests and rocky landscapes, sometimes climbing mountains no higher than 300 m above sea level.

His needles middle length, and most of them are concentrated in the back of the body. The back of the animal is brown, the belly is whitish. The body length of adult individuals reaches 35-48 cm, and the weight of the porcupine ranges from 1.5 to 2.25 kg. These porcupines have a long, scaly tail. Brown, growing from 17.5 to 23 cm in length and easily detached, so many adults, especially females, are often tailless. Long-tailed porcupines climb bushes and trees well. The diet of rodents consists mainly of plant foods; animals give particular preference to various fruits and seeds, young bamboo shoots, they are also very fond of bamboo, and invertebrates are consumed extremely rarely. Long-tailed porcupines live on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, settling in forests and farmland.

• African brush-tailed porcupine ( Atherurus africanus)

a fairly common species of large rodents belonging to the genus of brush-tailed porcupines (Atherurus). The size of adult porcupines varies from 40 to 60 cm, and the length of their tail is not inferior to long-tailed porcupines and is about 15-25 cm. The skin of animals is covered with thin spines, among which there are long and thick quills. These porcupines received their specific name due to a special brush at the tip of the tail, which consists of thick hairs and is a kind of whitish or light brown brush. In the middle the tail is bare, scaly, and studded with needles at the base. The African brush-tailed porcupine lives in forests near rivers and lakes, can swim well and feeds on various vegetation, roots, tubers, and insects. The species range extends across Central Africa south of Senegal, passes through the countries of the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon) to the mouth of the Congo River, and also covers the Fernando Po Islands.

Squad - Rodents

Family - American

Genus/Species - Ereyhizon dorsatum. North American porcupine, porcupine

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Body length: 64-86 cm.

Tail length: up to 30 cm.

Weight: 3.5-7 kg, the weight of some males reaches 18 kg.

REPRODUCTION

Puberty: from 1.5-2.5 years.

Mating season: autumn-early winter.

Pregnancy: 7 months.

Number of cubs: 1.

LIFESTYLE

Habits: The porcupine (see photo of the porcupine) swims well and crawls through trees.

What to eat: tree bark, buds.

Lifespan: up to 17 years old.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 13 species of porcupines, including the prehensile-tailed porcupine and the Amazonian porcupine.

Talking porcupine (porcupine). Video (00:03:52)

Like other species belonging to this family, the porcupine spends most of its life on trees, the leaves and bark of which it feeds on. Nature has endowed him with sharp claws and bare paw pads, thanks to which he perfectly maintains balance on the branches.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

Porcupine searches for food high in the trees - where it spends most of its time. With strong light orange teeth, it gnaws branches, leaves, seeds and fruits of various trees and other plants. Its diet varies depending on where it lives and the time of year. At the end of winter, the animal leaves the forest to feast on young, juicy grass in the nearby meadows. In summer, he also finds food on the ground - roots and young shoots of plants, collects strawberries, seeds and inflorescences various plants, nuts, he eats and aquatic plants. With the arrival of winter, the porcupine returns to the forest and feeds exclusively on pine needles and bark. He is very fond of juicy bast fibers, which during this period are an important element of his nutrition.

HABITAT

Porcupine prefers mixed forests, but if necessary adapts to other, different conditions, for example, to sandy deserts, bushes and even open spaces of the tundra. He sleeps all day long, curled up in a ball, in the forks of trees or in rocky crevices. Each animal has several such shelters located at different ends of the territory. At dawn, the porcupine goes to the nearest hole. This is a conservative animal, it uses well-trodden paths and leaves noticeable tracks on soft ground or snow. In particular harsh winters The porcupine spends several days without leaving its shelter or leaves it for only a few minutes. In the summer, he decides to move some distance from the hole, but usually rarely crosses the boundaries of his possessions. In winter, porcupines are in a group.

REPRODUCTION

Porcupina males, which lead a solitary lifestyle for most of the year, go in search of partners towards the end of autumn or early winter. Their eyesight is poor, but their hearing and sense of smell are well developed. The courtship ritual of these porcupines is quite interesting. It begins with the partners walking in circles while making high-pitched falsetto sounds. After mating, the male leaves the female. Seven months later, in April-June, the female gives birth to a single cub. The newborn is very well developed. Porcupine cubs are born sighted. The length of a newborn is about 60 cm, and its weight is up to 500 g. Its body is covered with thick, long black hair, and the needles are short and soft. However, within half an hour after birth, its needles harden. From the first day of life, the cub is able to follow its mother. When feeding milk, the mother sits comfortably on the ground, sitting on her hips and tail. At the age of one week, the child can already climb trees on his own. In the first month of life, he gradually begins to take solid food. Despite fast development cub, puberty occurs only at the age of 1.5-2.5 years.

PORKUPIN AND MAN

For the first white settlers North America porcupines were desirable and easily accessible prey, one of the main sources of food. They hunt it for meat even today. Previously, Indians used North American porcupine quills to make a variety of jewelry. Nowadays, people, especially foresters, are fighting against porcupine because it feeds on the bark of trees, and this leads to the death of plants. In some areas, they are trying to limit the number of these animals by resettling them natural enemy- pecan. Pecan manages to defeat the porcupina in this way: he lies in wait for the animal, which suspects nothing, then with a sudden throw he turns it over on its back and bites its teeth into the stomach or chest.

INTERESTING INFORMATION. DID YOU KNOW THAT...

• Porcupine swims well. Needles, hollow inside, help it keep its body afloat.
• Porcupine can weigh up to 18 kg, which is three times its normal weight.
• An adult porcupine has about 30,000 spines.
• The porcupine begins to gnaw the tree from the top: first it gnaws the branches, then it takes hold of the trunk. Some forests in which it is found a large number of These porcupines look like they were burned out in a fire.
• Porcupine loves salt, so it gnaws the salty-tasting handles of agricultural implements.
• This animal builds its nest in the crowns of trees, sometimes even at a height of 6 m.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF PORKUPIN. DESCRIPTION

Lifestyle: Porcupine feeds on bark and leaves and makes its nest at the top of a tree.

Needles: straighten up in case of danger. They have small chips that dig into the skin of the attacker.

Pecan:(aka ilka, aka fisherman) is one of the few predators that the porcupine should be wary of.

Palms: their pads are bare and hard, and their long, sharp claws help them climb tree trunks.

- Habitat of the porcupine

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

Forests of North America from Eastern Alaska and Newfoundland in the north to Tennessee and Northern Mexico in the south.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Porcupina is considered a pest because it feeds on bark - this leads to the death of trees. In some regions, people are trying to limit its numbers.

These spiny representatives of the rodent order have settled throughout the world. They can be found in Africa, South and North America, Asian countries and even in Europe. Representatives of different continents differ in their appearance and habits. The habitats of the porcupine are usually reflected in the name of the species: South African, Indian, Malayan, Javanese, North American.

Spiny rodent

The main feature of the porcupine is the quills that cover its back. They give the animal a menacing and frightening appearance; this is precisely the goal that nature pursued when creating this beast. Rodent, average weight which weighs about 13 kg and is approximately 80 cm long, carries up to 30 thousand needles. In places where porcupines live, there used to be legends that the animals shoot at the enemy with these poisonous quills. In fact, light needles, up to 250 grams, simply get lost and fall off when walking over rough terrain. Their toxicity is also highly questionable, although the injection is quite painful and can cause inflammation in humans.

The air-filled quills serve as floats for the porcupine, allowing them to swim successfully. The exotic outfit, given by nature to the animal for protection, became its enemy in the human environment. It is because of the colorful and long needles that are used for decoration that these animals are most often exterminated. Porcupine meat is considered a delicacy.

Porcupine habitat

Spiny animals are considered more mountain animals. They can build long burrows with many corridors in caves and mountain voids, but they also successfully dig themselves. Settlements of some species can be found in the steppes and foothills, but even here they choose places with ravines and slopes.

The porcupine is not a predator. The diet consists of roots, fruits and berries of plants in the area where porcupines live in nature. These vegetarians are not averse to profiting from fruits from the garden and often raid peasant farmsteads. Porcupines climb trees well and lead night look life, and sleep during the day. Strong teeth allow the rodent to tear off bark and gnaw wood, so much so that it will destroy up to a hundred plantings over the winter.

Crested porcupine or crested porcupine

This type of echinoderm is the most common and typical, also called Asian. Enough major representative kind. There are males weighing 25-27 kg. The length of the body is up to a meter, plus 10-15 cm - the tail. The beautiful coloring is made up of alternating needles of black-brown and white colors. Where do crested porcupines live? Their distribution covers almost the entire Middle Eastern region to the southernmost regions of China, India, and Sri Lanka. It is also found in some countries of Southeast Asia, in

Asians eat greens: grass and leaves, and are not averse to stealing grapes, apples, and cucumbers from gardens. Therefore, they settle closer to the cultivated areas. In winter they switch to tree bark.

African echinoderms

The largest of the African rodents, the South African porcupine reaches 63-80 cm in length and weighs from 1 to 24 kg. It is distinguished by long, up to 50 cm, spines and a white line running along the croup. The quills on the tail are collected in an elegant bunch. Where does the porcupine live? Continent Africa, its southern part, is the homeland of the animal.

Another representative of this continent is the African brush-tailed porcupine. Its range covers the countries of the central part of the continent and the island of Fernando Po. It is named brush-tailed because of the light hair brush at the end of its bare, scaly tail. This echinoderm rodent swims well, and in addition to the usual plant food, it also eats small insects.

Indian porcupine

In appearance, this animal is similar to an ordinary Asian rodent, has a beautiful black-brown-white color, a black head and paws. This is the most unpretentious species of porcupines: animals live in the highlands, in forests, in steppe regions, and even in semi-deserts. They eat everything vegetable, roots and bulbs. Despite the Indian name, it thrives in the Caucasus mountains, Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Sumatra and Borneo

In the forests and agricultural lands of Sumatra there is an atypical representative of this family: the long-tailed porcupine. Its difference from its fellows is manifested in the fact that it has very thin and flexible needles, which from a distance look like thick brown bristles. They are located in the back of the body, closer to the tail. The whole appearance of this porcupine resembles an ordinary big rat. Long-tailed individuals climb trees and bushes well; they love bamboo shoots, fruits, and pineapples.

There is also a Sumatran porcupine, which lives only in this place. This animal is relatively smaller than its relatives. The maximum length of the Sumatran endemic is 56 cm, the most heavy weight- 5.4 kg. Its appearance is similar to a long-tailed one - the same thin needles, more reminiscent of bristles. The color is also brown, but the ends of the bristles are white.

The rigid-spined porcupine is considered to be native to Borneo. Its appearance allows us to attribute it to the relatives of the Sumatran representative, but its needles are harder and larger in size. In addition to their usual habitats in forests and mountains, these animals can also be found in cities, where they feed on greenery and fruits in parks and squares.

Where do porcupines live in America?

Spineworts, which live on both American continents, are very similar in appearance to their typical tropical relatives, but are smaller in size and weight. This is a mini-copy of real porcupines, more reminiscent of a hedgehog. Americans are evenly covered with spines and do not have particularly long spines in the back.

North American porcupines live in the United States and Canada. They hid their spines under a thick coat of fur. This is the only North American species.

The southern continent has a large species diversity. American porcupines are called arboreal, they deftly climb trees, some settle there for permanent residence in nests or hollows. There are species with tenacious tails up to 45 cm long, with which they cling to branches and bushes.

Are there porcupines in Europe?

Rodents with spines are not classified as typical representatives European fauna, but nevertheless in Europe there are places where porcupines live. In what country did these heat-loving animals find a place for themselves? Families of these thorn bearers can be found in Greece, Italy, and Sicily. Common or crested porcupines have lived here for a long time. Scientists debate whether the introduction of porcupines to this area was an evolutionary process, or whether they were brought by the ancient Romans, who were big fans of porcupine meat. On the territory of Russia, crested porcupines can be found in the South-Eastern Caucasus.

Erethizon dorsatum Linnaeus, 1758

Appearance

The North American porcupine is the second largest rodent in North America after the beaver: its body length is 60-90 cm, its thick tail is up to 30 cm long; weight 5-14 kg. The body from head to tail is covered with yellowish-white jagged needles (up to 30 thousand pieces) with black or brown ends. The guard hairs are slightly longer than the spines. The contrasting black and white coloring should alert potential attackers to the danger.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The North American porcupine is distributed in forested areas of North America from Alaska to northern Mexico. It can be found in a variety of landscapes - from tundra to semi-desert, although it prefers coniferous and aspen forests. In different areas, porcupines can live both primarily in trees and dens, climbing trees only to feed. How much time they spend on the ground depends on the number of predators and the density of "edible" ground vegetation in the area. The lifestyle is predominantly solitary, although in winter porcupines sometimes settle several individuals in one shelter and feed in groups of up to 20 individuals. He is active all year round, at night.

It feeds on all types of plant foods - bark, acorns and nuts, young leaves, herbs and, especially readily, apples. Often it gnaws on the same tree (for example, a sugar maple) for several days. Loves salt very much.

The North American porcupine has a very unique defense system. In case of danger, he first of all tries to climb a tree. If this is not possible, the North American porcupine takes a defensive pose - it raises its quills threateningly and begins to beat from side to side with its powerful and strong tail, while simultaneously snapping its teeth. The raised quills do not sit firmly - this allows the porcupine to quickly free itself if the predator does attack. Few predators risk "messing" with a porcupine; It is primarily hunted by ilka, wolverine and cougar. When attacking a porcupine, they try to knock it over onto its back in order to grab onto its unprotected belly.

Porcupine needles are covered with specific fatty acids, and their concentration is higher in summer than in winter. About half is palmitic acid, other components include palmitoleic, isopalmitic, oleic; Another 10 components account for about 5% of the mass of the fraction. All of them have bactericidal properties. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the animal loves to climb trees, and sometimes it can fall and be seriously injured from its own weapons. The bactericidal lubricant thus protects it from infections in such cases.

Reproduction

The mating season is in October-November. At this time, females make high-pitched, falsetto sounds, calling males. Porcupines are polygamous, with a male taking turns mating with several females. After 210 days of pregnancy, in April-June the female gives birth to a single calf - well developed, sighted and large. The weight of a newborn is 400-500 g. Half an hour after birth, his needles harden. From the first day of life, he follows his mother and demonstrates well all the typical defensive reactions. Milk feeding is repeated frequently. When feeding, the female sits down, leaning on her thighs and tail. The female and the cub usually meet only at night; during the day he hides on the ground while she sleeps in a tree. The cub becomes independent at the 5th month. Females reach sexual maturity at the 25th month, males at the 29th month.

A porcupine lives up to 18 years, but in nature on average up to 6 years, due to the grinding of its teeth.

Economic importance

The animal does not cause any noticeable harm. Gnaws the bark of trees, including some fruit and ornamental ones. In search of salt in winter, it takes to roads sprinkled with anti-icing salt; can chew unattended tools with wooden handles, boat oars, saddles, and car tires.

American Indians consumed porcupine meat as food, and used the quills to decorate hunting bags, moccasins, and other items.