Latin Name

Erethizon dorsatum

History at CuriOdyssey

Our female porcupine was born May 2018.

Fun facts about North American Porcupines

One porcupine may have as many as 30,000 quills, each of possesses tiny backward pointing barbs. When porcupine is threatened, the quills rise to make a pincushion defense. Porcupines frequently climb trees to great heights and are excellent swimmers because their quills aid in buoyancy. For communication, porcupines growl, grunt, moan, whine, cough, and chatter their teeth when threatened.

What do North American Porcupines eat?

At CuriOdyssey, we serve our porcupine wild herbivore chow, fruits and vegetables. In the wild, porcupines eat tree bark, evergreen needles, buds, twigs, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds, berries, nuts, and other vegetation. Porcupines are herbivorous.

How long to North American Porcupines live?

In the Wild: 10–20 years.
In Captivity: up to 20 years.

Where do North American Porcupines live?

They prefer coniferous forests but have adapted to grasslands, open tundra and deserts. Found in Alaska, Canada, northern Mexico, and most of the western and northeastern United States.

Are North American Porcupines endangered?

Species of Least Concern.  You can help porcupines in the wild while traveling through forests or wooded areas by driving alertly and carefully to avoid porcupines moving across roads (they move slowly on the ground).