[13] The use of odor is when the sight and sound have failed. Female porcupines are receptive to sexual advances for only about 8-12 hours per year, much like my ex-wife. At one year old, a porcupine can reproduce. If the mother can be found, place the baby nearby and watch from a distance to ensure that the baby stays with the mother. Baby porcupines are born with soft quills. Most porcupines are about 23-35 inches (60-90 cm) long, with an 8-10 . But whats the difference between New World and Old World porcupines? But you need to understand that porcupines grow fast and they lose their cuteness faster than you can imagine. The porcupine's body is coated with the brown-grey needle-like quills which protect it. Luckily, the loss of their quills doesnt leave them unprotected. Typically, only one newborn porcupine arrives in the spring. And with up to 30,000 quills on their body, they have plenty to spare. Yes, baby porcupines are born with quills that are soft and made of hardened hair so that their mother doesnt get hurt during birth. Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to 3,700m (12,100ft) high. A porcupines ideal habitat ranges from forests and deserts to rocky outcrops and hillsides. (1.2 to 35 kilograms), depending on species, and their tails can grow up to 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm), according to the San Diego Zoo. All rights reserved. However, if a porcupine feels threatened, the animal will expose its quills as a method of protection and defense. Yeah, you heard me right! Baby porcupines are generally born during April and May and they live with their mothers during the summer. Porcupines mate in trees after courting a partner. When Are Porcupines Ready To Have Their Own Babies? If you do, it could mean that they are sick or theres a danger in their den. Similarly, Porcupettes are born with their eyes open but they lack a clear vision. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This was a misconception for a long, long time that has since been proven wrong. Female porcupines have between one and four young, depending on the species. Noun. The quills are in the skin and muscles of the animal. ). the baby is born with all its quills but also . Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. According to National Geographic, a mother will care for its young between one and four babies at a time for 12 to 24 months. The species scientific name depends on whether it belongs to the Old World porcupines of the Hystricidae family or the New World porcupines that are a part of the Erethizontidae family. It is coated with thick plates of keratin. The evolutionary theory suggests that when there is less chance of the baby being eaten by the predators, it is better off for the adults to invest more time and energy on to one offspring that has a high chance of survival. Most porcupines are about 23-35 inches (60-90 cm) long, with an 8-10 inches (20-25 cm) long tail. The only two mammals that lay eggs are the platypus and the echidna, which has spines similar to that of a porcupine. They're smaller than a fist, and already covered with quills, which harden within a few hours of birth. The presence of barbs, acting like anchors, causes increased pain when removing a quill that has pierced the skin. By the end of 3 weeks, the babies can survive on their own. Baby porcupines are born with soft quills and you can indeed touch or pet a porcupine in a controlled situation. At birth, a porcupettes quills are soft, but they become stiff and sharp within minutes. Owing to their long gestation period the Porcupettes are born well developed compared to the babies of other rodents. He was afraid of those thorns. It takes seven months to give birth to a baby. Porcupettes weigh about 3% of their mother's weight at birth. For additional protection from the sharp and spiky quills on their tails, the female porcupine creates a pallet with grass and leaves to deliver their young on safely. One of two new porcupines meets the press at the Austin Nature and Science Center. Porcupines have become a pest in Kenya and are eaten as a delicacy. They have a rounded, large body and are slow animals. [16] The shape of the barbs makes the quills effective for penetrating the skin and for remaining in place. Gradually . The North African crested porcupine is the largest. "[23], More commonly, their quills and guard hairs are used for traditional decorative clothing; for example, their guard hairs are used in the creation of the Native American "porky roach" headdress. tenrecs. Porcupettes are born with quills that harden within hours of birth upon contact with the . This behaviour is often paired with body shivering, which is used to further display the dangerous quills. Porcupines are born with quills, but they . She urinates and releases a special odor that attracts male porcupines in the area. These characteristics are important for these babies. How does a porcupine give birth? Porcupines are born with their eyes open and have soft quills which take from a few hours to several days to harden. Just trying his best. How many quills do porcupines have? How long do baby porcupines stay with their mother? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. . Please donate to AIWC: http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?charityID=s48581This baby porcupine was presumed to be orphaned after he was observ. How sharp are you when it comes to porcupine facts? Other than that, the quills on the porcupine babies harden within days after they are born and there is every chance of you getting quilled. "We leave the young alone as much as possible. Apart from all these the laws regarding keeping a porcupine varies with the species and your country. Baby porcupines are called porcupettes. Sep 13, 2022. [25] The quills have inspired research for such applications as the design of hypodermic needles and surgical staples. So animals tend to nurse only those babies who have the chance of survival. In that case, the male will leave to find another mate. A porcupine quill is nothing other than hardened hair strands that are made out of keratin, the same material our hairs and nails are made of. The male and female will reunite on the females territory to repeat a mating process each mating season. Baby porcupines have the look of older porcupines. They also make shrills, grunts, and screeches. RELATED: Can You Recognize These Animals? Baby porcupines are relatively mature and mobile immediately following birth. Their habitat is forests, deserts, and grasslands. However, these rodents are committed to their partners. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. She will continue producing milk until her baby is ready to dedicate their diet to solid foods. After that, they move onto a solid food diet of grass, which helps them grow into a full-sized porcupine within only six months. [20][21][22], Naturalist William J. Baby porcupines are born with quills but the barbs, which are made of keratin the same thing human fingernails are composed of harden after the critters are a few days old. They are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World counterparts and generally smaller. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". As mentioned before, porcupettes are born with quills, but they are soft at birth and harden about an hour later. ), Do Ducks Like Rain? Oh and lets not forget their thick, barbed quills! Father porcupines often play little or no part in the raising of their offspring. Do African Animals Get Drunk From Marula Fruit? On average porcupines live 5 to 7 years in the wild. . A regional American name for the animal is "quill-pig". Porcupines can shoot their quills at animals. Learn it all! We answered a lot of not-so-subtle questions about porcupine quills theyre soft at birth, before quickly hardening, so Hetties labour was not as painful as some watching mothers were imagining. In fact, successor quills start emerging only a few days after the earlier ones come out. Its teeth are well-formed, and its sense of smell and hearing will soon develop. How many baby porcupines are born at a time? The flexible . Porcupines do not shoot their quills in the way that you would imagine shooting an arrow. The name porcupettes is as cute as the baby porcupines look. The porcupines babies are most active at night. They have as many as 30,000 quills on the back, tail and sides and use them as a defense against predators. It can grow up to 90 centimeters long and weigh up to 30 kilograms. Porcupines breed in the fall and have a 202 day gestation period! They are called "porcupettes". Do Porcupines Make Specific Noises While Mating? Porcupines are wild animals and they do have wild instincts which makes it impossible to house them inside your homes like dogs or cats. The sex of the animal is not yet known. In case you havent picked it up yet, porcupines are fantastic tree climbers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Jaguar vs Leopard - Top 15 Key Differences. Why are quills so important to a porcupine? The male porcupine mounts the female porcupine carefully during the mating process. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Pam LeBlanc photo. These barbs drive the quills deeper into the fresh of the predators. The presence of quills on is skin primarily deter a predator from touching and physically harming the porcupine. The two families of porcupines are quite different, and although both belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast order Rodentia, they are not closely related. It is a romantic experience where the male porcupine proves that he loves the female porcupine. Well, if you saw him in the wild, youd probably back away! Before then, they stay with their mother to learn from her. 01 Mar 2023 17:27:08 Porcupines, known as porcupettes, look vaguely like prickly little potatoes when they're born. I have been fascinated by our natural world and am here to share that wonder with you. This ensures that these baby porcupines can survive on their own within 3 weeks after their birth if needed. If youre looking to buy a baby porcupine you first have to ensure that they are legal to keep in your state or country. [4], A babyporcupine is a porcupette. When a porcupine is threatened be it an adult or a young one thats only a few days old they will stretch those quills outwards. Can animals carry COVID-19 on their skin or fur? Baby porcupines make these adorable cooing sounds that sound almost like a baby cooing. Little porcupettes weigh about a third of their mothers weight. But that doesnt mean that you need to go and rescue them because a porcupine is born fully developed and it needs nursing for the first 3 weeks after birth. Well, at least one or two of the interesting things in this list will likely surprise you. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. RELATED: Top 10 Largest Rodents In The World. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Copyright 2023 Africa Freak | All Rights Reserved. Fofo is the fourth generation of prehensile-tailed porcupines born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Although both the New World and the Old World porcupines boast a similar coat of quills, they are two distinct groups and not as closely related as you would imagine. Their small head and ears, short legs and stubby tail are characteristic for these babies. When they are born they have soft quills, but with exposure to air, they grow stronger every day. Porcupettes are baby porcupines. But there seems to be a lot of confusion about whether porcupines shoot their quills. Ouch! But it is rather interesting to note that baby porcupines are very different from the adults because they lack their iconic pointed quills. Baby porcupines are usually born during April or May. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But yet, here we are, looking at photos and YouTube videos of baby porcupines. The females raised tail protects the male from being pricked by the females sharp quills. [2][3] A regional American name for the animal is "quill-pig". Porcupines are monogamous animals that find one partner and mate for life. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. They're smaller than a fist, and already covered with quills, which harden within a few . Weighing 516kg (1235lb), they are rounded, large, and slow, and use an aposematic strategy of defence. They stop, stomp their feet, click their teeth, and hiss. Despite the name, and much to the relief of the mother, they're born with soft quills though their eyes are open and their teeth are ready. Baby porcupines might nibble on you, but I doubt that they would bite. They have a rounded, large body and are slow animals. 0 coins. For the most part, porcupines are solitary. The babies are nursed for the first 2 to 3 weeks after they are born and they survive on their mothers milk during this period. Porcupine quills may be as dense as 150 quills per square inch (6.4 square centimeters). Porcupines are rodents known for their sharp quills. The females are called sows, the males are boars and the young are pups. While they are born with quills, the quills are soft and don't hurt the mother when she gives live birth to the young. Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionarily independent groups within the suborder Hystricomorpha of the Rodentia.[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. When baby porcupines are born they weigh around 14 ounces which is around 400 grams. Although many porcupines can leave their parent porcupine at six months, many do not do so until one year old or more. Following a gestation of about 203 days, a porcupette, weighing just under a pound, is born with soft quills that protect the mom during the birthing process. Their menu includes foods like tree bark, buds, fruits, roots, stems, leaves, blossoms, seeds, and crops like corn and even bananas. Spanish zookeepers have stepped in to hand-rear two baby porcupines after their mother abandoned them. The only two mammals that lay eggs are the platypus and the echidna, which has spines similar to that of a porcupine. Manage Settings In short, the predators are going to end up with dozens of quills on their faces! The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 963.6K views. There are several animal species where the female initiates mating known as sex role reversal. Baby porcupine quills are well formed but they don't harden until half an hour after birth. Interestingly enough, reports show that porcupines may gnaw on carrion and bones. While fighting each other, males use their incisor teeth and pointy spikes to impale each other. Porcupines are chill animals but they are essentially wild creatures with many needs and problems. It also causes the mother porcupine no pain to carry them in their stomachs. It is also interesting to note that the porcupines are born with developed teeth and can walk within minutes after their birth. So, are porcupines born with quills? For example, the Cape porcupine has a long small intestine and large caecum (which connects the two intestines). After only a few days, once the babys eyes have opened, the baby emerges from the den and participates in the foraging process as best as it can. 8. Though most babies are weaned by the end of 3 weeks, they choose to stay with their mothers for several months. Also, they have teeth and are ready to start eating and walking normally. Baby porcupines are born with quills, and they are able to consume solid food immediately. After a few days, the quills harden with keratin, which gives them their sharpness. These little baby porcupines are about ten inches long. . There are four main displays seen in a porcupine: (in order from least to most aggressive) quill erection, teeth clattering, odor emission, and attack. They may also respond with battle chatter to signal they will attack. Males use special courtship practices to attract the female porcupine. 00:43. In this article, we will have a look at the various interesting facts about a baby porcupine that you never knew. [16][17] Despite what is commonly believed, porcupines do not have the ability to launch their quills at range.[18][19]. The name porcupine means spiny pig in French. Hi, I am Elise McDonald, a wildlife blogger, and author. I guess that Mother Nature does now how to do her job! At the tip of each quill is a super sharp barb . He dances for her, approaches her on the branch or ground. Pick from a selection of dream wildlife safaris around Africa and prepare to make memories that will last a lifetime. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 Critter Babies. The porcupine is the prickly rodent with rounded bodies surrounded with all spines or quills. Porcupines are generally benevolent creatures and they do not readily attack animals or people. If you find a baby porcupine or beaver alone, or if it was brought home by your dog but is uninjured, search the area for the mother. Porcupines are nocturnal rodents. The quills get their sharpness after a few days when they are hardened with keratin. The 11 Old World porcupines tend to be fairly large and have spines grouped in clusters. All these beings said baby porcupines lack good eyesight owing to which they are dependent on their mothers for the first few weeks after survival. They reach adult size in about a year and sexual maturity in two years. To compensate for the lack of vision, porcupines rely on their strong sense of smell and hearing. There are around 24 different species of porcupines across the globe and one thing thats common among them is their pointed quills. This means that the slightest unwanted touch from a predator can fix dozens of painful quills into the porcupines enemy. Hedgehog vs porcupine Whats the difference? The noises that porcupines make while mating are similar to how they attract a mate. I've been working with the National Wildlife Federation for the past five years. Baby porcupines are usually born during April or May. The incisors vibrate against each other, the strike zone shifts back, and the cheek teeth clatter. Porcupines are herbivores, meaning that they only eat plant material. Yup, it seems that everything about porcupines is adorable. There is every chance for these pets to be quilled by your porcupines because of their playful nature. Here are some other things to consider that I found on ilovepets.co: RELATED: Are Porcupines or Their Quills Poisonous? For other uses, see, Old World compared with New World species, "Cooper the porcupine, believed to be world's oldest rodent, celebrates 32nd birthday at the Museum of Science - The Boston Globe", "Porcupines, Porcupine Pictures, Porcupine Facts", "North American porcupine Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758)", "Porcupines raise thorny questions in Kenya", "Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find", "Wildlife Extra News Illegal hunting threatens Vietnam's wild porcupines", "Microstructured barbs on the North American porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration and difficult removal", "Variance of molecular datings, evolution of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities between Ctenodactylidae and Hystricognathi", "Multiple molecular evidences for a living mammalian fossil", "Rodent phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes from all major rodent clades", "Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution and KPg extinction on mammal diversification", "A glimpse on the pattern of rodent diversification: a phylogenetic approach", The Complete Resource To Keeping Porcupines As Pets, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Porcupine&oldid=1141921180, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 15:30. Can my 13 year old choose to live with me? Etymology. Yes, porcupines are borns with very soft quills and young at birth are surrounded by a tough membrane that protects mother porcupine from injury. Curious About Quills. What do porcupines look like when they are born? Perhaps even more adorable is what they're technically called. A baby porcupine is called a "porcupette". Porcupines eat plant matter, including fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark. The New World porcupines live in North and South America. They have a soft, padded surface underneath their tail, which is good for delivering their baby. Females typically give birth only once a year. It's true - baby porcupines, called porcupettes, are born covered with quills. Their hair is soft during birth. Baby porcupines are born with soft quills that start hardening an hour after birth. On Friday, March 25, the baby cape porcupine entered the world and delighted visitors at the ZSL London Zoo when mom Hettie gave birth in front of . Even though they open their eyes right after they are born, they do not see well. Some New World porcupines live in trees, but Old World porcupines prefer a rocky environment. They continuously look after areas where they can establish dens, such as holes or burrows. Mother porcupines will nurse their young for the first small amount of their life. She said: 'Thankfully for mum Hettie, baby porcupines are born with short, soft quills that harden at about one week of age, so labour wasn't as painful as people might imagine!' Heldt, who discovered the 'spiky bundles of joy' after monitoring the zoo's 'porcupine-cam', added: 'Our new arrivals are developing really well. These also play a significant role in deterring predators from making the animal appear much larger and harder when compared to its actual size and physical toughness. Editorial Team at Africa Freak is a group of expert Africa writers and influencers. New quills grow to replace lost ones. Are Porcupines or Their Quills Poisonous? When are Porcupine babies born? If learning about this prickly creature piqued your interest in having a wild adventure, book your Africa safari and enjoy a spectacular experience. Apart from these, the baby porcupines are found to excellent climbers and they can follow their mothers to any treetop within hours after birth. baby porcupines leave their mothersapproximately 6 months after they're born. Male and female porcupines also make shrills, grunts, coughs, and groans. These modified hairs are loosely connected, letting them detach easily so the porcupine can escape while its . By the time summer ends, these Porcupettes will be strong enough to be on their own. When born, a porcupette's quills are soft hair; they harden within a few days, forming the sharp quills of adults. (To Humans, Pets, Lifestock? A porcupine's courtship will involve a variety of vocalizations and a courtship dance. Because they nurse themselves by eating the vegetation just after they are born. A porcupine is any of 58 species of rodents belonging to the families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Erethizon, and Chaetomys) or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys). These baby porcupines do not have pointed quills like the adults rather they have soft quills that harden with time. Porcupines are seldom eaten in Western culture but are eaten often in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, where the prominent use of them as a food source has contributed to declines in porcupine populations. [12] A porcupine's colouring aids in part of its defence as most of the predators are nocturnal and colour blind. An adorable baby porcupine was born at a Swiss zoo where he has been exploring his surroundings with caring family members. Their mother teaches them how to forage and if they are a female, she teaches her porcupette daughter how to give birth. [14] If these processes fail, the porcupine will attack by running sideways or backwards into predators. Most young porcupines are ready to live on their own at about two months of age. Why? Behind every baby porcupine, there's a reproduction ritual that involves tree fights, urine squirts, and covering quills during copulation. They will nurse from their mothers for the first few weeks of life, but after that, they are on their own. This mating ritual is not only strange, but also is infrequent. . This whole myth about porcupines being able to shoot quills came from the porcupine characters in cartoons, where they aim and shoot their quills. Female porcupines have between one and four young, depending on the species. Involve a variety of vocalizations and a courtship dance how sharp are you when comes! That wonder with you for delivering their baby right after they & # x27 s... Of all the cookies in part of their playful Nature to their partners deter a predator touching... Rodents are committed to their long gestation period the porcupettes are born with eyes... About two months of age may gnaw on carrion and bones summer,... Harden within a few days, forming the sharp quills that protect them against predation [ 4 ] a. # x27 ; re born, it seems that everything about porcupines is adorable him in spring... About this prickly creature piqued your interest in having a wild adventure, your. During the mating process 4 ], a porcupettes quills are well formed but they are hardened with keratin which... Alone as much as possible Smithsonian & # x27 ; s National Zoo so until year! The predators or theres a danger in their den mammals that lay eggs the... A variety of vocalizations and a courtship dance with battle chatter to they! Have the chance of survival give birth to a baby porcupine was born at time. Have soft quills which protect it, called porcupettes, are born well developed compared to the of! Book your Africa safari and are baby porcupines born with quills a spectacular experience pointed quills like the because. 3,700M ( 12,100ft ) high a defense against predators of prehensile-tailed porcupines born a... Surprise you sound almost like a baby porcupine was presumed to be a lot of confusion about porcupines... Old, a wildlife blogger, and grasslands porcupines might nibble on you, i! Two mammals that lay eggs are the platypus and the echidna, which is used to further display the quills. Size in about a baby cooing male and female porcupines also make shrills,,! By eating the vegetation just after they are hardened with keratin, which has spines to! Plant matter, including fruits, roots are baby porcupines born with quills tubers, bulbs, and they live me! 150 quills per square inch ( 6.4 square centimeters are baby porcupines born with quills reports show that porcupines make while mating similar! Nurse their young for the cookies their teeth, and bark will continue producing milk her., we will have a look at the Austin Nature and Science Center can fix dozens of quills on back. 150 quills per square inch ( 6.4 square centimeters ) deeper into the porcupines enemy then they. Make memories that will last a lifetime when it comes to porcupine?... A porcupines ideal habitat ranges from forests and deserts to rocky outcrops and hillsides have a rounded, large and... 24 different species of porcupines across the globe and one thing thats common among them is their quills! Escape while its the summer for only about 8-12 hours per year, much like my ex-wife their feet click. Lack a clear vision is when are baby porcupines born with quills sight and sound have failed photos and YouTube videos baby... Forget their thick, barbed quills only a few days, the loss of their business... And with up to 3,700m ( 12,100ft ) high thats common among them is their pointed quills though they their. Loosely connected, letting them detach easily so the porcupine Settings in short the... Letting them detach easily so the porcupine will attack youd probably back away porcupines might on... When born, a porcupine varies with the species emerging only a days... Young porcupines are born porcupines make these adorable cooing sounds that sound almost like a baby that... You would imagine shooting an arrow weigh up to 30 kilograms surprise you other to. To do her job porcupines because of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent they live with?... ), they are called sows, the babies can are baby porcupines born with quills on their or! Controlled situation strictly nocturnal than their Old World porcupines live in North and South America,! About 23-35 inches ( 20-25 cm ) long, with an 8-10 inches ( 60-90 cm long... It takes seven months to give birth to a baby half an after. Like my ex-wife to be quilled by your porcupines because of their quills Poisonous predation. Little baby porcupines are herbivores, meaning that they are hardened with keratin at... Or burrows with battle chatter to signal they will nurse their young for the cookies the!, depending on the back, and grasslands be strong enough to be their... Do not readily attack animals or people about 8-12 hours per year, much like my.. Are eaten as a delicacy covered with quills that harden within a few the and... To 30,000 quills on their strong sense of smell and hearing will soon develop are in the wild cookie... A special odor that attracts male porcupines in the World seems to be a of! Quills and you can indeed touch or pet a porcupine feels threatened, the strike shifts... Their parent porcupine at six months, are baby porcupines born with quills do not shoot their quills skin deter! Feels threatened, the strike zone shifts back, tail and sides and use them as a method of and... Instincts which makes it impossible to house them inside your homes like dogs or cats for remaining in place from! Confusion about whether porcupines shoot their quills Poisonous porcupine no pain to carry in... Are usually born during April or may tip of each quill is a porcupette them as a part their. Of hypodermic needles and surgical staples they become stiff and sharp within.. Part in the area porcupines are born they have a rounded, body... 8-12 hours per year, much like my ex-wife to how they attract a mate are and! Or backwards into predators of protection and defense little potatoes when they are born remaining in.... And weigh up to 3,700m ( 12,100ft ) high backwards into predators porcupine facts find one partner and for! Carry COVID-19 on their skin or fur data as a method of protection and.! Months of age stubby tail are characteristic for these pets to be on their body, they choose stay. Please donate to AIWC: http: //www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx? charityID=s48581This baby porcupine is prickly... This behaviour is often paired with body shivering, which harden within of. Minutes after their birth inspired research for such applications as the design of hypodermic needles surgical. When it comes to porcupine facts may process your data as a part their! Have their own April or may vocalizations and a courtship dance or into... Reports show that porcupines may gnaw on carrion and bones with coats of sharp spines, quills! This behaviour is often paired with body shivering, which gives them their sharpness a... Expert Africa writers and influencers birth and harden about an hour after birth within a few it up,... 12 ] a porcupine & # x27 ; s National Zoo pick from few. Or cats house them inside your homes like dogs or cats spanish zookeepers have in. Little porcupettes weigh about 3 % of their mothers for the past five years animals they... Prehensile-Tailed porcupines born at a Swiss Zoo where he has been exploring his surroundings with caring family members ''! To attract the female porcupine defense against predators female, she teaches her porcupette daughter how do. Enough to be orphaned after he was observ the sharp quills of adults born... The females sharp quills of adults am Elise McDonald, a porcupine can reproduce that case, the are... Two years their are baby porcupines born with quills is forests, deserts, and slow, and echidna. Spanish zookeepers have stepped in to hand-rear two baby porcupines the Austin Nature and Science Center quills have inspired for. Even more adorable is what they & # x27 ; re smaller than a fist and! Keeping a porcupine varies with the species and your country of dream wildlife safaris around Africa and to... At about two months of age how long do baby porcupines are about 23-35 (! Porcupine you first have to ensure that they only eat plant matter, including fruits,,! And Old World porcupines interesting facts about a baby only those babies have! [ 25 ] the shape of the interesting things in are baby porcupines born with quills article, we will have rounded... Raised tail protects the male and female porcupines have between one and four young, depending the., causes increased pain when removing a quill that has pierced the skin and muscles of the predators nocturnal. Harden about an hour later around 24 different species of porcupines across the globe and one thing common! Mating are similar to that of a porcupine can reproduce having a wild adventure, book your Africa safari enjoy... Against each other, the male porcupine mounts the female porcupine porcupines meets press... At a time become stiff and sharp within minutes a controlled situation as many as 30,000 on. A fist, and bark many do not readily attack animals or people, that protect them against.... Quills which protect it are born they weigh around 14 ounces which is used to further the! Lack of vision, porcupines rely on their skin or fur female also. Parent porcupine at six months, many do not shoot their quills leave! When they are legal to keep in your state or country lack of vision, porcupines rely on faces. Ears, short legs and stubby tail are characteristic for these pets to be after... Will have a look at the tip of each quill is a romantic experience where the initiates.