Porcupine

Hello world here we are at Tuesday but not any Tuesday this one marks 1yr since dad died and I am feeling numb and somewhat sad.

Well here is this weeks creature, the porcupine not the echidna which is a different animal just saying.

Porcupines are rodents yes like rats, mice and squirrels but of course they are larger as in 90cm or 3ft in length and they move quite slowly.

They are protected by long needle sharp spines or quills, which they release by shaking or by whacking its enemy with the quills in its tail. If any quills touch a predator the come off and stick into its skin. As well as being very sharp the quills have barbed tips that make them hard to remove, then of course the victim's body heat up making them swell up and get even more stuck

While generally passive if left alone, these pests can perceive people as a threat and use their quills in self-defense. They tense their muscles so the quills stand at attention, then begin swatting their tails back and forth.

Porcupine quills can become embedded in the skin and are painful and difficult to remove.

The pests are also able to spread porcupine diseases like rabies. They may host ticks as well, which can pass on Colorado tick fever and a variety of other illnesses.