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
- A map of porcupine sightings reporting to .
- to iNaturalist.
- Read an essay about porcupines from .
- Hear what a porcupine call sounds like from.
- The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Outdoor Radio is produced in collaboration with the Vermont Center For Ecostudies and is made possible by the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.
