Porcupines can have as many as 30,000 quills on their bodies, but contrary to the popular myth, they do not 'shoot' them at enemies. They feast on hemlock branches and are preyed upon by fishers.
Biologists Kent McFarland, Sara Zahendra and Steve Faccio ventured into the woods on a blustery day to examine a porcupine den that was big enough for a human to fit in - but not someplace you'd want to venture!
Here's more information about porcupines, also knows as the quill pig.
- The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department fact page.
- A map of porcupine sightings reporting to iNaturalist Vermont.
- Report your own sightings to iNaturalist.
- Read an essay about porcupines from Northern Woodlands.
- Hear what a porcupine call sounds like from Lang Elliot Music Of Nature.
- The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Field Guide.
Outdoor Radio is produced in collaboration with the Vermont Center For Ecostudies and is made possible by the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.
