The quills of the porcupine are made of thick layer of keratin. However, generally, they are stuck on its skin so does not shed while porcupine moves or shakes itself. The porcupine can regenerate its quills if lost. These quills have a small hook that pulls the prey’s skin and helps to predate. The new world porcupine has quill-laden tails that they use during fights. The shells are narrow and blunt, whereas the new world porcupine has sharp quills that range around four inches and work as a shield for it. Old World porcupines have long quills up to 20 inches that take the shape of the skirt around the porcupine.
How Porcupine protect themselves?Įvery species of porcupine has quills which differ in length and patterns.
They feed at night so they can see better at night, and they are not too aggressive. Mostly the porcupine is an herbivore, with poor eyesight but yes, great smelling sense. The porcupine mostly lives in North America and weighs about fifteen to thirty-five pounds.
