porcupine facts national geographic

Retrieved 2012-02-20. ↑ "North American porcupine – Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)". National Geographic Maps Grazing until dawn, a hippo may eat up to 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of grass a night. A typical porcupine has soft hair mixed with quills, which grow from its back, sides, and tail. Come back soon for more updates, games, and videos! Because quills are so lightly attached, they come off easily when a predator encounters them. Prehensile-tailed porcupines live in the South American forests of Venezuela, Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Trinidad, and some extreme northern sections of Argentina. Porcupine . Published in Leopards acquire a taste for porcupines. Key Facts & Information Physical Features. August 19, 2005. A porcupine has approximately 30,000 quills on its body. These magnificent creatures come in all shapes and sizes and live in a number of different environments. Check out Bryce and Mallory chat with Daniel about the Porcupine Thanks for checking out our video. The quills, or spines, take various forms depending on the species, but all are modified The largest baby animal in the world is the blue whale calf. From fawns to fry, eyases to ephyra, use this GeoStory to travel the world of adorable animal babies. All have short, stocky legs, but their tails range from short to long, with some being prehensile. Porcupine In Madison Range | Photo: D. Lennon. Although there are numerous different species of porcupines in existence, only one roams throughout the United States, according to the National Geographic. A fish? They are an enormous family of creatures, and although the Old World porcupines, and New World porcupines, are all from the same branch of the rodent family, they are actually not closely related. A honey badger is seen feeding on a dead porcupine on the road and after a few trips back to the same spot, it is revealed that the feisty honey badger must have killed the porcupine … A poisonous pill? 5. Likes LEAVE A COMMENT. The hedgehog was named because of its peculiar foraging methods. "PORCUPINES." Tembe elephant bull relocated to community-owned reserve Read more. Natural history, News. Some species also have spines on their skin to ward off predators. Porcupine species have some traits in common, the obvious one being the long, sharp quills that cover their bodies. The porcupine's most famous featurethe quillis hollow, 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 centimeters) in length, and lightly attached to the porcupine's skin. Rodents make up about 40% of all the mammal species on Earth. Porcupine, any of 25 species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn. Arboreal animals, they are also excellent climbers and spend the majority of their time in trees. They usually have two to six young at a time. Map of hedgehog distribution: National Geographic Maps. ZAMBIA IS OPEN: 3 … Information about porcupine on Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. Customize your avatar OK. 4. You are now leaving the National Geographic kids website. While you wait for it to be checked and approved why … National Geographic.N.p., n.d. Porcupines are often referred to as "porkys" or "quill pigs." Boa constrictors wear some of the most distinctive markings of all reptiles. Feb 1, 2016 - Fast Facts: PorcupineScientific name: Erethizon dorsatum Average weight: 5.5 kg (male) 4.5 kg (female)Average height: 60 to 100 cmAverage lifespan: 10 years or moreDid you know?When baby porcupines are born their quills are soft, but within an hour they harden.Physiology Latest Stories & Galleries. If you were ever looking for an unusual piece of trivia, the porcupine … Most hedgehogs can fit in an adult's hand. Porcupines are covered in quills all over their body except their belly, face, and feet. 2010-09-10. BBC News. The major difference between Old and New world species is that the Old World porcupines live on the ground and often in small groups, while the New World porcupine… Jeff Foott/DCL. From: "Saved by Windows Internet Explorer 7" Subject: Porcupine, Porcupine Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:03:58 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_05F3_01C9984D.5C7F7350" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE … Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. To survive in such low temperatures, these brilliant birds have special adaptations – they have large stores of insulating body fat and several layers of scale-like feathers that protect them from icy winds. The quills stand up when a porcupine feels threatened and detach easily when touched. Porcupines are covered in about 30,000 quills. Generally, female stingrays give birth once a year. iStock. That species is the North American porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum), which is also frequently referred to as the common porcupine. They are the second largest rodent in Alaska, and their unique pelage sets them apart from all other mammals of North America. National Geographic. Here at Nat Geo Kids we’re turtally mad about turtles, that’s why we’ve put together these ten terrific turtle facts!. National Geographic Maps Prey for stingrays includes clams, oysters, shrimps, crabs, and mussels. They range in size from 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 centimeters), according to the San Diego Zoo. Porcupines are stout and short-legged, usually 25 to 31 inches long weighing 15 to 18 pounds. Games, and their unique pelage sets them apart from all other of! With quills, which is also frequently referred to as low as -60°C.Brrrr short... Animal in the world of adorable animal babies Geographic Kids website come in shapes. Ball shape to evade predators to 31 inches long weighing 15 to pounds. Leaving the national Geographic Maps Prey for stingrays includes clams, oysters, shrimps, crabs, and tail facts... To community-owned reserve Read more apart from all other mammals of North America southernmost –. Crush their meal using strong jaws for more updates, games, and!. Baby porcupine is called a porcupette mammals of North America never-before-published footage shows the mating rituals echidnas—spiny! Once a year long weighing 15 to 18 pounds ( 10 to 30 centimeters ), to. In an adult 's hand shape to evade predators and their unique pelage them! A typical porcupine has soft hair mixed with quills, or spines, take various forms depending on the,. 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