Porcupine
People seldom see one of the state’s oddest mammals, the
porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum). This is, in part, due to the
solitary, nocturnal nature of the creature. Porcupines are
concentrated mostly in the western one-fourth of the state, but
are slowly spreading eastward. Porcupines are the second largest
of Oklahoma’s rodents, with only the beaver being larger. They
can reach weights of about forty pounds, and can be over three
feet from head to tail.
A porcupine’s entire body, with the exception of the belly and
legs, is covered with sharp quills. The porcupine’s quills,
which are actually hardened, barbed hairs, are its primary
source of protection. Porcupines cannot “throw” their quills as
is popularly thought. They can, however, slap their quilled tail
with lightning speed in the direction of an attacker. If a
predator comes too close, it is likely to get a nose or mouth
full of sharp quills that will work deeper and deeper into the
flesh, causing a nasty infection and in extreme cases, possible
death.
A single porcupine may have upwards of 30,000 quills, more than
100 per square inch. Native Americans once used the quills as
needles, and as ornaments on clothing. They were also used in
the making of Native American warriors’ breastplates.
Porcupines are amazing climbers. They have been sighted over 60
feet up in the tops of trees, particularly cottonwoods, and
these animals are extremely agile. Porcupines are herbivorous,
feeding on bark and twigs, and prefer to eat softwoods, such as
pine, elm and poplar. These rodents love salt and will seek it
out. This craving leads them to eat such things as succulent
plants, saddle leather, and the occasional shovel handle.
In some areas, the porcupine’s love for salt can get it into
trouble. They will eat just about anything with a salty taste,
including rose bushes, lily pads, garden produce and even car
tires. Porcupines have been known to eat gardening equipment,
wood siding on homes and yard furniture. Even when feeding only
on trees, porcupines can cause problems. They can strip so much
bark off the tree that it dies. There are some products that can
discourage porcupines from literally eating you out of house and
home. Most of these are liquid sprays that taste terrible to the
porcupine. Another option for controlling problem porcupines is
trapping and relocation.
In northern climates, a natural predator of the porcupine, the
fisher, is sometimes introduced into an area to control
porcupine populations. Fishers are a type of weasel and are
about the size of a large house cat. Other predators of the
porcupine include the bobcat, and where found, the timber wolf,
and wolverine. These animals are quick, and are able to flip the
porcupine onto to its back in order to expose it’s soft,
unprotected belly. In Oklahoma, only the bobcat, and
occasionally the coyote, are natural predators of the porcupine.
Porcupines mate in the fall and give birth about 112 days later
in the spring. They usually have only one offspring, called a
porcupette, and twins are rare. The porcupine’s quills are soft
at birth and harden within their first hour of existence. They
can eat solid food in about two weeks. Unlike their stoic
parents, porcupettes are quite playful.