The tree porcupine is one of the largest rodents in North America. They are distributed throughout Canada and much of America. Some southeastern and southwestern states dont have any at this time, but the rest of the country share the same species.

The tree porcupine is heavy, growing to be 10-20 lbs or even bigger depending on diet. Their entire body is covered with quills which can number over 20,000. Only the face, under body and under the tail dont have any. Although the quills can dislodge easily, porcupines cannot "throw" quills at will. They generally take a defensive stand daring predators to bite knowing their quills will protect them. In some cases,they may lunge, but porcupines are not swift nor do they pretend to be. If you get too close, they may slap their tail, but in general will leave you alone unless antagonized. Their quills are a problem for animals which are stuck and don`t receive medical attention. Such areas will get infected quickly and such infections will lead to many types of disease. In the wild, many animals which receive quills in their mouth are unable to eat and will eventually starve. Dogs which try to bite will find out porcupines aren`t good eating, but only a few seem to learn from their experience. Most which get a mouthful don`t seem to learn. It`s not unusual to see them back at the vet`s some time in the future.

Porcupines have one litter in the spring.
They almost always have one young and twins are very rare. Their gestation is long for a rodent, about seven months. Young porcupines can walk almost immediately and will climb trees within two days. At ten days, most are on their own.

By their second year, they are able to reproduce. Although porcupines are great tree climbers and can live on several species of trees, they seem to prefer, white, ponderosa, pinion, hemlock, spruce, elm and poplar. When living in the woods and feeding on wild trees, porcupines go mainly unnoticed. Since they do most of their feeding at night, many people aren`t even aware of how many may be living around their homes. However, this is rapidly  changing. As more and more homes are being built in wild areas with strong populations of animals including porcupine, conflict between them and man is inevitable. If you are finding damage on your property, you will need to act fast. And if the damage is happening to a tree, remember that it doesn`t take long for most any tree to become stressed and vulnerable. If you have a stand of trees you are particularly fond of and want to make sure they are OK, use some STRESS GLASSES to monitor their status. These unique eye glasses enable you to "see" plant life like trees, turf and or shrubs that are under stress. They can really help you locate, treat and save trees which are under attack. Porcupine damage to homes, structures and garden areas is increasing. Porcupines have a taste for salt, succulent plants, fruits, vegetables, tool handles, wooden wheel barrow handles, boat oars, porch furniture, toilet seats, saddles, tires or anything else which may have had salt on them.

Wooden tool handles absorb salt from sweat which is certain to attract feeding porcupines. Any automobile which travels on salted roads in the winter will be absorbing a lot of this mineral which will lure porcupines to feed on the tasty tread. Saddles used by equestrians are certain to be eaten if left within range. T-111 wood siding, plywood and pressboard all use a laminate glue which porcupines love!  They will eat it till nothing is left. As much as you replace, they will consume. Tree houses, hunting stands, out houses, sheds, barns, wood shops: If it`s made of wood they will eat it!!! 

Because porcupines eat primarily wood, most people are unaware how much they like succulent plants. Porcupines love rose bushes, pansies, lily pads, all types of berries, corn, and several other garden favorites. Rabbits and deer are often blamed for this damage when many times it is being done by porcupines. Since they are mostly nocturnal, they are able to go about their business undetected

The tree porcupine is the only rodent to have a grasping tail or a prehensile tail. Aided by its prehensile tail, it feeds on leaves, twigs, fruits, nuts, berries and flowers that it finds while roaming from tree to tree. Unlike most other prehensile tails that turn downwards, the tree porcupine`s tail curls upwards.

The porcupine is also able to hold on to branches firmly because of the long claws on each toe. Tree porcupines are found in Mexico and almost all of South America.

Characteristics:
Heavy-bodied animal with well-developed claws and unfurred soles on their large feet. The soles consist of pads and creases which increase the supporting surface and the gripping power of the feet. Long spineless tails are used for grasping. Their tips form upward curls and have a hard skin on the upper surface. The tail contributes 9 percent of the total body weight.

The prehensile-tailed porcupine is a tree-dwelling animal. It rarely descends to the ground and only does so to feed or move to another tree. Because it is exclusively arboreal, it is very clumsy when forced to move about on the ground, walking slowly and awkwardly. They produce a variety of sounds & moans, whines, grunts, coughs, sniffs, shrieks, barks, and wails.

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME: prehensile-tailed porcupine, coendou

KINGDOM: Animalia

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Mammalia

ORDER: Rodentia

FAMILY: Erethizontidae

GENUS SPECIES: Coendou (porcupine) prehensilis prehensile/grasping)

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION: The prehensile-tailed porcupine is a large, tree-dwelling rodent that is covered with stout, barbed quills. The prehensile tail does not have quills at the tip and is designed for grasping onto tree branches.

SIZE: 50-61 cm (20-24 in.) long

WEIGHT: 4-6 kg (9-13 lb.)

DIET: Herbivores that feed on leaves, stems, fruits, blossoms, and roots

GESTATION: Gestation lasts approximately 203 days (7 months); one offspring

SEXUAL MATURITY: Approximately 1.5-2 years

LIFE SPAN: 10-12 years on average

RANGE: Panama; Andes from Columbia to Argentina and Northwest Brazil

HABITAT: Lives in the trees of the tropical rainforests

POPULATION: GLOBAL Unknown

STATUS: IUCN-Not listed CITES Not listed USFWS Not listed

FUN FACTS

Porcupines that become alarmed do not shoot their quills. They respond to the stimulus by raising them up similar to the way people respond to the weather by getting goose bumps. The quills of the porcupine are barbed and because they easily fall out when they are raised, it is very difficult for any animal to touch them without getting one embedded in its skin. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are nocturnal animals that have long whiskers on their face and feet that help them feel their way around at night. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are well-adapted for their life in the treetops. They have a strong tail that is used for grasping branches, and large feet with bare soles (like callused pads) that aid in tree climbing. Newborn prehensile-tailed porcupines have red hair and soft spines that will later harden to become stiff quills. The precocial young will climb within days after their birth.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Various plant species must have seeds go through the digestive system of an animal in order to propagate. Because prehensile-tailed porcupines are herbivores, they help disperse such seeds. Porcupines are also a possible food source for a few larger animals, such as the jaguar. Loss of habitat due to deforestation is one of the largest threats to this specialized tree-dwelling species. Occasionally, they are eaten by South American Indians and their quills are sometimes used as decoration. In some areas, they are seen as a threat to farms, known to damage crops in search of food.