We're not sure why porcupines haven't developed the ability to shoot their quills. Perhaps the quills are just as effective against predators by simply detaching quickly into the predator's skin! We definitely think it would hurt to be stuck with porcupine quills, Abbi! Porcupines have clawed feet that help them climb trees.
Do you like climbing trees? We hope you're having a great day, Wonder Friend! Porcupines grow quills in a similar way to how hair grows, Brianna! Thanks for sharing your question, Amelia! Depending on the species of porcupine, you can find them in forests, deserts and rocky areas! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis, Chloe! We hope you've learned from this Wonder that porcupines don't shoot their quills whenever they want!
Their backs do have sharp quills on them, Nolan! We're not exactly sure how they stick themselves but it may involve a leg quill sticking an arm or something like that! That's a great question, Room ! Porcupines do grow new quills to replace the ones they lose, just like we replace hairs on our bodies! Thank you for sharing your feedback, Michael! We'll definitely take this back to the Wonder Team for future Wonders of the Day! Sorry you didn't like today's Wonder, Derpy!
We encourage you to take a look at our other Wonders to find one you like! We're glad you learned new things about porcupines with us, Lane! We did some extra digging and learned that porcupines have clawed feet that help them climb trees!
Thanks for hanging out with us in Wonderopolis, Jeshaiah! If they didn't detach easily, the porcupine might be caught by the predator! You're welcome, Landon! We're glad you learned something new with us today! When a porcupine falls, perhaps one of his arm quills pokes into his leg and that's how he sticks himself.
We imagine it's pretty painful! We explored this Wonder question and found that porcupines aren't able to shoot their quills. The quills do detach from the porcupine easily, though, when they feel threatened! Thanks for sharing what you found interesting, Abby! We bet it hurts a lot!
We're glad we don't have quills! Thanks for commenting, Harlee! The research we did showed that porcupines can't shoot their quills, but the quills do detach very easily from the porcupine.
We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:. Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. Can porcupines shoot their quills? Why do porcupines have quills?
Do porcupines ever get stuck by their own quills? Tags: See All Tags animals , antibiotic , barb , biology , defense , North America , porcupine , quill , rodent , science , spike , United States , zoology. Wait just a second… What's the big deal?
Wonder What's Next? Tomorrow's Wonder of the Day is a delicious treat with a long past! Try It Out We hope you enjoyed learning more about prickly porcupines! Keep the fun going by exploring the following activities with a friend or family member: What happens when hungry lion cubs encounter a porcupine in the wild? Find out by watching National Geographic's Porcupine vs. Lion video online. Did that turn out how you thought it would? Why or why not?
Have you ever seen a porcupine up close? While we don't recommend getting up close and personal with a porcupine in the wild, there are many zoos and animal sanctuaries that feature porcupines amongst their collections.
Do some Internet research to find the nearest zoo or animal sanctuary with porcupines, and then plan a trip to visit them with an adult friend or family member. Don't forget to take pictures to share with your friends! Put yourself in the paws of a porcupine.
How would you feel being prickly all over? Do other animals avoid you because of your quills? What about those sad days when you just need a hug? What's a poor porcupine to do? Use your imagination to create a greeting card that you could send to a porcupine to brighten his day. Be sure to design it with both pictures and words.
What images would make a porcupine feel less self-conscious? What could you write that would convey a message of hope amidst struggles? Have fun designing your own unique porcupine pick-me-up card! Did you get it? Test your knowledge. Wonder Words deter aim shoot barb skin greasy quill predator cartoon pierce lodge infection porcupine antibiotic accidentally prickliest nuisance keratin Take the Wonder Word Challenge.
Join the Discussion. Shreya Mar 5, This information is very interesting It gave me a lot of information about porcupine. Thank you! Brady cavin Jan 16, Feb 23, They are super cute, Brixley!
Guard Hairs - These long, rough strands grow atop the underfur. They serve as a shield, protecting sensitive areas on the back and tail.
Quills - Sharp, hollow, and durable, porcupine quills cover most of the animal's body and are a natural defense against attackers. Can Porcupines Shoot their Quills? Dealing with Porcupines Conifer trees are a favorite hiding spot for porcupines.
Do Porcupines Lay Eggs? Critter Control Logo. Navigate to homepage. Make no mistake, they are very formidable defensive weapons, but cannot be released at will and fired. The quills are modified hairs, present from birth in a softened state. They are hollow structures, randomly banded black and white that signal danger - the classic nocturnal warning oposematic colours. When confronted, the porcupine will turn its back to the aggressor and rattle its quills by stamping the feet, the hollow resulting in a remarkably ominous sound obviously designed to deter attack.
While this happens, the porcupine makes short backward rushes in an attempt to jab the enemy with quills. They are often successful, driving the quills in deeply.
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