View source for Porcupine

{{short description|Rodent with a coat of sharp spines}}
{{Distinguish|Hedgehog}}
{{About|the mammal}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| name = Porcupine 
| image = Erethizon dorsatum - Prince Rupert.jpg
| image_alt = North American porcupine walking on gray earth
| image_caption = [[North American porcupine]]
| auto = yes
| parent = Hystricognathi
| includes = 
*[[Hystricidae]] (Old World porcupines)
*[[Erethizontidae]] (New World porcupines)
| excludes = 
*{{extinct}}[[Bathyergoididae]]
*[[Bathyergidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Myophiomyidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Diamantomyidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Phiomyidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Kenyamyidae]]
*[[Petromuridae]]
*[[Thryonomyidae]]
*[[Chinchillidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Neoepiblemidae]]
*[[Dinomyidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Cephalomyidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Eocardiidae]]
*[[Caviidae]]
*[[Dasyproctidae]]
*[[Cuniculidae]]
*[[Ctenomyidae]]
*[[Octodontidae]]
*[[Abrocomidae]]
*[[Echimyidae]]
*[[Myocastoridae]]
*[[Capromyidae]]
*{{extinct}}[[Heptaxodontidae]]
}}

'''Porcupines''' are large [[rodent]]s with coats of sharp [[Spine (zoology)|spines]], or quills, that protect them against [[predation|predators]]. The term covers two [[Family (biology)|families]] of animals: the [[Old World porcupine]]s in the family [[Old World porcupine|Hystricidae]], and the [[New World porcupine]]s in the family [[New World porcupine|Erethizontidae]]. Both families display superficially similar coats of rigid or semi-rigid quills, which are modified hairs composed of keratin, and belong to the infraorder [[Hystricognathi]] within the diverse [[order (biology)|order]] Rodentia. The two groups are distinct and are not closely related to each other within Hystricognathi. The largest species of porcupine is the third-largest living rodent in the world, after the [[capybara]] and [[beaver]].

The Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) live in [[Italy]], [[West Asia|West]] and [[South Asia]], and most of [[Africa]]. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) are indigenous to [[North America]] and northern [[South America]]. They live in wooded areas and can climb trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They are generally smaller than their Old World counterparts and are less strictly nocturnal.

Most porcupines are about {{convert|25|-|36|in|cm|-1|abbr=on|order=flip}} long, with a {{convert|8|-|10|in|cm|adj=on|abbr=on|order=flip}} long tail. Weighing {{convert|12|-|35|lb|0|abbr=on|order=flip}}, they are rounded, large, and slow. Their colouration consists of various shades of brown, grey and white. Porcupines have various methods to defend themselves from predators, the most prominent being the use of their quills, which advertises their unsuitability for being preyed upon. This [[Evolutionary game theory|strategy]] is known as [[aposematism]]. To some degree, the spiny protection resembles that of the [[hedgehog]]s, [[echidna]]s, and [[tenrec]]s, none of which share any spiny ancestors; all of them, and also the old-world and new world porcupines, are products of [[convergent evolution]]. The spines of the various groups also vary markedly. 

Humans have a varied history with porcupines, with some cultures considering a symbols of self-defense or cautiousness. Porcupines appear in mythology in regions where the animal has economic significance, such as for food or in the production of [[quillwork]] textiles.

==Terminology and etymology==
The word ''porcupine'' comes from the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|porcus}} {{gloss|pig}} + {{lang|la|spina}} {{gloss|spine, quill}}, from [[Old Italian]] ''porcospino'', {{gloss|thorn-pig}}.<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|porcupine|accessdate=2024-07-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Wedgwood|first=Hensleigh|author-link=Hensleigh Wedgwood|title=On False Etymologies|journal=Transactions of the Philological Society|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3924121;view=1up;seq=78|year=1855|issue=6|page=68|access-date=2018-09-22|archive-date=2018-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204011835/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.b3924121;view=1up;seq=78|url-status=live}}</ref> A regional American name for the animal is ''quill-pig''.<ref>{{Cite OED|quill pig|1194071940}}
</ref>

A baby porcupine is known as a porcupette.<ref name=Shadle>{{Cite journal|jstor=1375108|last1=Shadle |first1=Albert R. |title=Feeding, Care, and Handling of Captive Porcupines (Erethizon) |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_journal-of-mammalogy_1950-11_31_4/page/410|journal=[[Journal of Mammalogy]] |volume=31 |issue=4 |date=1950|pages= 411–16 |doi=10.2307/1375108}}</ref> When born, a porcupette's quills are soft hair; they harden within a few days, forming the sharp quills of adults.<ref>{{cite web|author=Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute|url=https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/curious-about-quills|title=''Curious About Quills''|date=2017-03-03}}</ref>

==Taxonomy and evolution==
===Classification===
A porcupine is any of 29 species of [[rodent]]s belonging to the families [[New World porcupine|Erethizontidae]] (genera: ''[[Prehensile-tailed porcupine|Coendou]]'', ''[[Erethizon]]'', and ''[[Bristle-spined rat|Chaetomys]]'') or [[Old World porcupine|Hystricidae]] (genera: ''[[Brush-tailed porcupine|Atherurus]]'', ''[[Hystrix (mammal)|Hystrix]]'', and ''[[Long-tailed porcupine|Trichys]]''). The two families of porcupines are quite different, and although both belong to the [[Hystricognathi]] branch of the vast order [[Rodent]]ia, they are not closely related. Early studies on the physical characteristics of New World porcupines initially described them as being the most [[Basal (phylogenetics)|basal]] (earliest to diverge) group among the hystricognaths,<!-- Analysis of the animals' parasites pointed to closer relationships between Erethizontidae and Hystricidae, as well as the South American Dinomyidae and the African Pedetidae. However, parasites have the potential to transfer horizontally between mammals, as is the case with some porcupine-specific pinworms that also affect the domestic cat. --><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Huchon |first1=Dorothée |last2=Douzery |first2=Emmanuel J.P. |date=2001 |title=From the Old World to the New World: A Molecular Chronicle of the Phylogeny and Biogeography of Hystricognath Rodents |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1055790301909613 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |language=en |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=238–251 |doi=10.1006/mpev.2001.0961 |pmid=11476632 |bibcode=2001MolPE..20..238H |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and fossil records point to a common ancestor of Erethizontidae and all other hystricognaths occurring {{Ma|37.2|33.9}} in the early [[Oligocene]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Sobrero |first1=Raúl |last2=Inostroza-Michael |first2=Oscar |last3=Hernández |first3=Cristián E. |last4=Ebensperger |first4=Luis A. |date=2014-08-01 |title=Phylogeny modulates the effects of ecological conditions on group living across hystricognath rodents |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347214002280 |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=94 |pages=27–34 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.05.008 |issn=0003-3472|hdl=10533/128725 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionarily independent groups within the infraorder [[Hystricognathi]], part of the suborder [[Hystricomorpha]] of the Rodentia:<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Huchon D., Catzeflis F.  |author2=Douzery E. J. P. |name-list-style=amp | title = Variance of molecular datings, evolution of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities between Ctenodactylidae and Hystricognathi| journal = Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B| volume = 267| issue = 1441| pages = 393–402| year = 2000|pmid =10722222| doi =10.1098/rspb.2000.1014|pmc = 1690539 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Murphy W. J. |author2=Eizirik E. |author3=Johnson W. E. |author4=Zhang Y. P. |author5=Ryder O. A. |author6=O'Brien S. | title = Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of placental mammals| journal = Nature| volume = 409| issue = 6820| pages = 614–618| year = 2001|pmid =11214319| doi =10.1038/35054550|bibcode=2001Natur.409..614M |s2cid=4373847 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Huchon D. |author2=Chevret P. |author3=Jordan U. |author4=Kilpatrick C. W. |author5=Ranwez V. |author6=Jenkins P. D. |author7=Brosius J. |author8=Schmitz J. | title = Multiple molecular evidences for a living mammalian fossil| journal = Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA| volume = 104| issue = 18| pages = 7495–7499| year = 2007|pmid =17452635| doi =10.1073/pnas.0701289104| pmc = 1863447 |bibcode=2007PNAS..104.7495H |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Blanga-Kanfi S. |author2=Miranda H. |author3=Penn O. |author4=Pupko T. |author5=DeBry R. W. |author6=Huchon D. | title = Rodent phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes from all major rodent clades| journal = BMC Evol. Biol.| volume = 9| page = 71| year = 2009|issue=1 |pmid = 19341461| doi =10.1186/1471-2148-9-71| pmc = 2674048 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2009BMCEE...9...71B }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Churakov G. |author2=Sadasivuni M. K. |author3=Rosenbloom K. R. |author4=Huchon D. |author5=Brosius J. |author6=Schmitz J. | title = Rodent evolution: back to the root| journal = Mol. Biol. Evol.| volume = 27| issue = 6| pages = 1315–1326| year = 2010|pmid =20100942| doi =10.1093/molbev/msq019|doi-access =free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Meredith R. W. |author2=Janecka J. E. |author3=Gatesy J. |author4=Ryder O. A. |author5=Fisher C. A. |author6=Teeling E. C. |author7=Goodbla A. |author8=Eizirik E. |author9=Simao T. L. |author10=Stadler T. |author11=Rabosky D. L. |author12=Honeycutt R. L. |author13=Flynn J. J. |author14=Ingram C. M. |author15=Steiner C. |author16=Williams T. L. |author17=Robinson T. J. |author18=Burk-Herrick A. |author19=Westerman M. |author20=Ayoub N. A. |author21=Springer M. S. |author22=Murphy W. J. |title=Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution and KPg extinction on mammal diversification |journal=Science |volume=334 |issue=6055 |pages=521–524 |year=2011 |pmid=21940861 |doi=10.1126/science.1211028 |bibcode=2011Sci...334..521M |s2cid=38120449 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Fabre P.-H. |author2=Hautier L. |author3=Dimitrov D. |author4=Douzery E. J. P. | title = A glimpse on the pattern of rodent diversification: a phylogenetic approach| journal = BMC Evol. Biol.| volume = 12| page = 88| year = 2012|issue=1 |pmid =22697210| doi =10.1186/1471-2148-12-88|pmc = 3532383 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2012BMCEE..12...88F }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Upham N. S.  |author2=Patterson B. D. |name-list-style=amp | title = Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi)| journal = Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.| volume = 63| issue =2| pages = 417–429| year = 2012|pmid =22327013| doi =10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020|bibcode=2012MolPE..63..417U }}</ref>

{{div col}}
* Parvorder [[Phiomorpha]]
** Family [[Hystricidae]]: Old World porcupines
*** [[African brush-tailed porcupine]], ''Atherurus africanus''
*** [[Crested porcupine|African crested porcupine]], ''Hystrix cristata''
*** [[Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine]], ''Atherurus macrourus''
*** [[Cape porcupine]], ''Hystrix africaeaustralis''
*** [[Indian crested porcupine]], ''Hystrix indicus''
*** [[Malayan porcupine]], ''Hystrix brachyura''
*** [[Sunda porcupine]], ''Hystrix javanica''
*** [[Sumatran porcupine]], ''Hystrix (Thecurus) sumatrae''
*** [[Thick-spined porcupine]], ''Hystrix (Thecurus) crassispinis''
*** [[Philippine porcupine]], ''Hystrix (Thecurus) pumilis''
*** [[Long-tailed porcupine]], ''Trichys fasciculata''
* Parvorder [[Caviomorpha]]
** Family [[Erethizontidae]]: New World porcupines
*** [[North American porcupine]], ''Erethizon dorsatum''
*** [[Brazilian porcupine]], ''Coendou prehensilis''
*** [[Bicolored-spined porcupine]], ''Coendou bicolor''
*** [[Andean porcupine]], ''Coendou quichua''
*** [[Black dwarf porcupine|Black dwarf (Koopman's) porcupine]], ''Coendou nycthemera''
*** [[Rothschild's porcupine]], ''Coendou rothschildi''
*** [[Santa Marta porcupine]], ''Coendou sanctemartae''
*** [[Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou mexicanus''
*** [[Paraguaian hairy dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou spinosus''
*** [[Bahia porcupine]], ''Coendou insidiosus''
*** [[Brown hairy dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou vestitus''
*** [[Streaked dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou ichillus''
*** [[Black-tailed hairy dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou melanurus''
*** [[Roosmalen's dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou roosmalenorum''
*** [[Frosted hairy dwarf porcupine]], ''Coendou pruinosus''
*** [[Stump-tailed porcupine]], ''Coendou rufescens''
*** [[Bristle-spined porcupine]], ''Chaetomys subspinosus'' (sometimes considered an [[Echimyidae|echimyid]])

{{div col end}}

===Evolution===
{{stub section|date=March 2022}}
Fossils belonging to the genus ''Hystrix'' date back to the late [[Miocene]] of the continent of Africa.<ref name="Barthelmess2006">{{cite journal|author=Barthelmess, E.L.|year=2006|title=''Hystrix africaeaustralis''|journal=Mammalian Species|issue=788|pages=1–7|doi=10.1644/788.1|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Biology==
[[File:Reserve Sigean - Porc-épic du Cap 03.jpg|thumb|An [[Old World porcupine]], the [[Cape porcupine]]]]
===Old World compared with New World species===
The 11 [[Old World porcupine]]s tend to be fairly large and have spines grouped in clusters.

The two subfamilies of [[New World porcupine]]s are mostly smaller (although the [[North American porcupine]] reaches about {{convert|85|cm|in|abbr=off|disp=or}} in length and {{convert|18|kg|lb|abbr=off|disp=or}}), have their quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees. The New World porcupines evolved their spines independently (through [[convergent evolution]]) and are more closely related to several other families of rodents than they are to the Old World porcupines.<ref name=":0" />

The quills of New World porcupines are unique among spined rodents, being stiff with a circular [[Cross section (fiber)|cross section]] that is small in proportion to their length, which allows them to penetrate further into a potential predator before breaking off near the base. In contrast, the spines of Old World porcupines are similar to those of other rodents with spiny hair, such as the [[Neacomys spinosus|bristly mouse]] and [[short-tailed spiny rat]], in that they have a concave cross-section and are shorter and softer, making them break off closer to the tip.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Gonçalves |first1=Gislene L. |last2=Maestri |first2=Renan |last3=Moreira |first3=Gilson R. P. |last4=Jacobi |first4=Marly A. M. |last5=Freitas |first5=Thales R. O. |last6=Hoekstra |first6=Hopi E. |date=2018-08-17 |title=Divergent genetic mechanism leads to spiny hair in rodents |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=13 |issue=8 |article-number=e0202219 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0202219 |pmid=30118524 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=6097693 |bibcode=2018PLoSO..1302219G }}</ref>

===Description===
Porcupines are rodents of varying fur color{{sfn|Feldhamer|Merritt|Krajewski|Rachlow|2020|p=342}} that are characterized by their abundance of protruding spines, or quills, found all along the head and body of the animal. Some species have quills that extend from the tail as well.{{sfn|Nowak|1991|p=895}} They vary in size considerably: an adult [[Andean porcupine]] weighs roughly {{convert|2|kg|lb|abbr=on}},<ref name="Reid2">{{cite book|author=Reid, Fiona|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aBEbUaXTWYAC&pg=PA245|title=A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico|publisher=OUP USA|year=2009|isbn=978-0-19-534322-9|pages=245–246}}</ref> while the [[crested porcupine]] can grow to weigh up to {{convert|27|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name=EoM>{{cite book|editor= Macdonald, D.|author= van Aarde, Rudi|year= 1984|title= The Encyclopedia of Mammals |publisher= Facts on File|location= New York|pages=704–705 |isbn= 978-0-87196-871-5|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/704}}</ref>

===Longevity===
Porcupines have a relatively high [[longevity]] and hold the record for being the longest-living rodent, with one individual named Cooper living over 32 years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cooper the porcupine, believed to be world's oldest rodent, celebrates 32nd birthday at the Museum of Science - The Boston Globe|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/19/metro/cooper-porcupine-believed-be-worlds-oldest-rodent-celebrates-32nd-birthday-museum-science/|access-date=2021-10-12|website=Boston Globe|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028170149/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/19/metro/cooper-porcupine-believed-be-worlds-oldest-rodent-celebrates-32nd-birthday-museum-science/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Diet===
[[File:MainePorcupine.JPG|left|thumb|alt=Porcupine eating grasses|North American porcupine eating grass and clover]]
The North American porcupine is an<!-- Please note: the first use of "herbivore" in this article (in 2010) https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Porcupine&diff=next&oldid=354651179 used the US American version of the indefinite article "an" in front of "herbivore". This has since been modified several times. As per MOS:RETAIN, please do not modify.--> herbivore and often climbs trees for food; it eats leaves, herbs, twigs, and green plants such as [[clover]]. In the winter, it may eat bark.<ref name="NG">{{cite web |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/porcupine/ |title=Porcupine |date=10 September 2010 |work=Animals |publisher=[[National Geographic]] |access-date=16 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127023956/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/porcupine/  |archive-date=27 January 2017 }}</ref><!-- ori link is https://web.archive.org/web/20110928005538/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/porcupine/ but replaced with a more updated version --> The African porcupine is not a climber; instead, it forages on the ground.<ref name="NG"/> It is mostly [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]]<ref name="pornoc">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/north-american-mammals/porcupine |title=North American porcupine – Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) |publisher=Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County |access-date=July 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607082910/http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/north-american-mammals/porcupine |archive-date=June 7, 2014 }}</ref> but will sometimes forage for food during the day, eating bark, roots, fruits, berries, and farm crops. Porcupines have become a pest in [[Kenya]] and are eaten as a delicacy.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4157330.stm|title=Porcupines raise thorny questions in Kenya|date=August 19, 2005|work=BBC News|access-date=September 21, 2009|archive-date=June 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619221722/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4157330.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Defense===
Defensive behaviour displays in a porcupine depend on sight, scent, and sound. Often, these displays are shown when a porcupine becomes agitated or annoyed. There are four main displays seen in a porcupine: (in order from least to most aggressive) quill erection, teeth clattering, odour emission, and attack.<ref name="NAP">{{cite book|last=Roze|first=Uldis|title=The North American Porcupine Second Edition|date=2009|publisher=Cornell University Press|location=Cornell University, United States of America|isbn=978-0-8014-4646-7|edition=Second }}</ref> A porcupine's colouring aids in part of its defence as most of the predators are [[nocturnal]] and colour-blind. A porcupine's markings are black and white. The dark body and coarse hair of the porcupine are dark brown/black and when quills are raised, present a white strip down its back mimicking the look of a skunk. This, along with the raising of the sharp quills, deters predators. Along with the raising of the quills, porcupines clatter their teeth to warn predators not to approach. The incisors vibrate against each other, the strike zone shifts back, and the cheek teeth clatter. This behaviour is often paired with body shivering, which is used to further display the dangerous quills.<ref name="NAP" /> The rattling of quills is aided by the hollow quills at the back end of the porcupine.<ref name="Antibiotic">{{cite journal |last1=Roze |first1=Uldis |last2=Locke |first2=David C. |last3=Vatakis |first3=Nick |title=Antibiotic Properties of Porcupine Quills |journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology |date=March 1990 |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=725–734 |doi=10.1007/bf01016483 |pmid=24263588 |bibcode=1990JCEco..16..725R |s2cid=2045335 }}</ref> The use of odour is when the sight and sound have failed. An unpleasant scent is produced from the skin above the tail in times of stress and is often seen with a quill erection.<ref name="Warning Odor">{{cite journal|last=Guang|first=Li|title=Warning Odor of the North American Porcupine|journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology|date=1997|volume=23|issue=12|pages=2737–2754|doi=10.1023/a:1022511026529|bibcode=1997JSP....23.2737L|s2cid=36405223 }}</ref> If these processes fail, the porcupine will attack by running sideways or backwards into predators. A porcupine's tail can also be swung in the direction of the predator; if contact is made, the quills could be impaled into the predator causing injury or death.<ref name="Quills Kill">{{cite journal|last=Mori|first=Emiliano|title=The defense strategy of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata|journal=ResearchGate|date=October 2013 }}</ref>

====Quills====
[[File:Stekelvarken Aiguilles Porc-épic.jpg|thumb|Quills grow in varying lengths and colours, depending on the animal's age and species.]]
Porcupines' quills, or [[spine (zoology)|spines]], take on various forms depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of [[keratin]]<ref name=Attenborough>{{cite episode | last=Attenborough |first=David |author-link=David Attenborough | series=Attenborough's Natural Curiosities |series-no=2 |series-link=David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities | number=2 |title=Armoured Animals | year=2014 | network=[[UKTV]] }}</ref> and are embedded in the [[skin]] musculature. Old World porcupines have quills embedded in clusters, whereas in New World porcupines, single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur, and hair.

Quills are released by contact or may drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New quills grow to replace lost ones.<ref name=Attenborough/><ref name="NG"/> Despite what is commonly assumed and depicted in media, porcupines cannot launch their quills at range.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Porcupine |volume= 22 | page = 101 second para |quote= The spines are mixed with long soft hairs |last1= Flower |first1= William Henry |last2= Lydekker |first2= Richard }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Shepard, Thomas Goodwin|title=The natural history of secession|url=https://archive.org/details/naturalhistorys01goodgoog|year=1865|publisher=Derby & Miller|pages=[https://archive.org/details/naturalhistorys01goodgoog/page/n95 78]–}}</ref>

There are some possible [[antibiotics|antibiotic]] properties within the quills, specifically associated with the free fatty acids coating the quills.<ref name="Antibiotic" /> The antibiotic properties are believed to aid a porcupine that has suffered from self-injury.

==Ecology==
===Behavior===
Porcupines are slow-moving animals.{{Sfn|Roze|2012|p=1}} All porcupines are social to some degree, though only Old World porcupines are known to form clans or family units.{{Sfn|Roze|2012|pp=60-62}}

===Habitat and range===
[[File:Tree Climbing Porcupines.jpg|thumb|A pair of North American porcupines in their habitat in [[Quebec]]]]
Porcupines occupy a small range of habitats in tropical and temperate parts of Asia, Southern Europe, Africa, and North and South America. They live in forests and deserts, rocky outcrops, and hillsides. Some New World porcupines live in trees, but Old World porcupines prefer a rocky environment. Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to {{convert|3700|m|abbr=on}} high. They are generally nocturnal but are occasionally active during daylight.

==Relationships with humans==
===Use as food and clothing===
[[File:MAPElNorte041.JPG|thumbnail|Porcupine guard hair headdress made by native peoples from [[Sonora]] displayed at the [[Museo de Arte Popular]] in Mexico City]]
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825103830.htm |title=Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find |publisher=Sciencedaily.com |date=2010-08-25 |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-date=2019-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421160439/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825103830.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.030|title=The conservation impact of commercial wildlife farming of porcupines in Vietnam|year=2010|last1=Brooks|first1=Emma G.E.|last2=Roberton|first2=Scott I.|last3=Bell|first3=Diana J.|journal=Biological Conservation|volume=143|issue=11|page=2808 |bibcode=2010BCons.143.2808B }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Ettinger, Powell |url=http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/porcupine-vietnam.html#cr |title=Wildlife Extra News – Illegal hunting threatens Vietnam's wild porcupines |publisher=Wildlifeextra.com |date=2010-08-30 |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-date=2019-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128082742/http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/porcupine-vietnam.html#cr |url-status=live }}</ref> <!-- As mentioned, in Kenya porcupines are eaten as a delicacy.<ref name="BBC"/> -->In China, the Chinese porcupine (''Hystix brachyura hodgsoni''), a subspecies of the [[Malayan porcupine]], was one of several wild animals that was widely farmed for its meat, but a broad ban on the consumption of many wild animals in 2020 led to stoppage of this practice across the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.jiemian.com/article/4312123.html |last1=Liang |first1=Zhou |first2=Chang |last2=Wang |title=Porcupine farmers forced to abandon their game |date=April 30, 2020 |website=Jiemian}}</ref>
[[File:Marco Polo BNF manuscrit 2810 Porc-épicHystricidae.jpg|thumb|Hunting porcupine near the town of Cassem, in a miniature from ''[[The Book of Wonders]]'' by Italian explorer [[Marco Polo]] (first book, manuscript 2810)]]
Naturalist [[William J. Long]] reported the taste of the North American porcupine as "vile" and "malodorous" and delightful only to a lover of strong cheese.<ref>{{cite book|last=Long|first=William J.|title=Wood Folk at School|publisher=Ginn & Company|location=Boston and London|year=1902|page=116}}</ref>

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 [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] [[Roach (headdress)|"porky roach"]] headdress. The main quills may be dyed and then applied in combination with thread to embellish leather accessories, such as knife sheaths and leather bags. [[Lakota people|Lakota]] women would harvest the quills for [[quillwork]] by throwing a blanket over a porcupine and retrieving the quills left stuck in the blanket.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8681 |access-date=29 June 2013 |title=Lakota Quillwork Art and Legend |archive-date=20 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140320012129/http://aktalakota.stjo.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8681 }}</ref>

=== Use in research ===
The presence of barbs, acting like anchors, causes increased pain when removing a quill that has pierced the skin.<ref name="Attenborough" /> The shape of the barbs makes the quills effective for penetrating the skin and for remaining in place.<ref name="Cho2012">{{cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.1216441109|title=Microstructured barbs on the North American porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration and difficult removal|year=2012|last1=Cho|first1=W. K.|last2=Ankrum|first2=J. A.|last3=Guo|first3=D.|last4=Chester|first4=S. A.|last5=Yang|first5=S. Y.|last6=Kashyap|first6=A.|last7=Campbell|first7=G. A.|last8=Wood|first8=R. J.|last9=Rijal|first9=R. K.|display-authors=9|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=109|issue=52|pages=21289–94|last10=Karnik|first10=R.|last11=Langer|first11=R.|last12=Karp|first12=J. M.|pmid=23236138|pmc=3535670|bibcode=2012PNAS..10921289C|doi-access=free}}</ref> The quills have inspired research for such applications as the design of hypodermic needles and surgical staples.<ref name="Cho2012" /> In contrast to the current design for surgical staples, the porcupine quill and barb design would cause less damage to the skin when removed.<ref name="sp2012">{{Cite web|title=Porcupine Quills Reveal Their Prickly Secrets| date=10 December 2012 |first=Sid |last=Perkins |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/porcupine-quills-reveal-their-prickly-secrets|language=en|access-date=2025-07-16 |doi=10.1126/article.26651 |website=Science.org | doi-broken-date=17 July 2025 }}</ref>

Porcupine quills have been the subject of research due to their composition and ability to withstand [[Compression (physics)|compression]]. Quills are made of [[alpha-keratin]] and are filled with a [[foam]] core.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Yang |first1=Wen |last2=McKittrick |first2=Joanna |date=2013-11-01 |title=Separating the influence of the cortex and foam on the mechanical properties of porcupine quills |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1742706113003437 |journal=Acta Biomaterialia |volume=9 |issue=11 |pages=9065–9074 |doi=10.1016/j.actbio.2013.07.004 |pmid=23872514 |issn=1742-7061|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Structural units that replicate the design of porcupine quills have been created through [[Stereolithography|stereolithogaphy]], a [[3D printing]] technique.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tee |first1=Yun Lu |last2=Maconachie |first2=Tobias |last3=Pille |first3=Philip |last4=Leary |first4=Martin |last5=Do |first5=Truong |last6=Tran |first6=Phuong |date=2021-11-15 |title=From nature to additive manufacturing: Biomimicry of porcupine quill |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521005967 |journal=Materials & Design |volume=210 |article-number=110041 |doi=10.1016/j.matdes.2021.110041 |issn=0264-1275|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Mirhakimi |first1=Anooshe sadat |last2=Dubey |first2=Devashish |last3=Elbestawi |first3=Mohamed A. |date=2024-07-01 |title=Laser powder bed fusion of bio-inspired metamaterials for energy absorption applications: A review |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S223878542401545X |journal=Journal of Materials Research and Technology |volume=31 |pages=2126–2155 |doi=10.1016/j.jmrt.2024.06.234 |issn=2238-7854|doi-access=free }}</ref> 

===Domestication===
Porcupines are sometimes kept as [[exotic pet|exotic pets]].{{Sfn|Roze|2012|pp=123-124}} They are also raised in captivity for research purposes<ref name="Shadle" /> and to aid in conservation efforts.<ref>{{Cite journal|first1=W.R. |last1=Farida|date=2019|journal=IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. |volume=308 |doi=10.1088/1755-1315/308/1/012076 |url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/308/1/012076/pdf |title=Observations of behavioral development on common Porcupines (Hystrix brachyura) undergoing domestication |first2= P. |last2=Sari |first3=N. |last3=Inayah |first4=H.A. |last4=Nugroho |issue=1 |article-number=012076 |bibcode=2019E&ES..308a2076F |doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== In culture ===
Porcupines appear in the mythology of various cultures where the animal is endemic or economically important. It is one of the twenty-eight animals noted as being underdeveloped in some senses in the ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'', classified with other "five-nailed" animals such as the [[tiger]] and the [[tortoise]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hall |first=Fitzedward |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pGbS39rAuyEC&pg=PA72 |title=The Vishnu Purána: a System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition |date=1864 |publisher=Trübner & Company |pages=71–72 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sinha |first=Purnendu Narayana |title=A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna or Esoteric Hinduism |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/39442/39442-h/39442-h.html |access-date=2025-07-17 |website=bpurana.rst |language=en}}</ref> In [[San culture]], it is grouped alongside animals that have significant reserves of fat or association with [[honey]], such as the [[hyrax]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lewis-Williams |first=J. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T2STDAAAQBAJ |title=Myth and Meaning: San-Bushman Folklore in Global Context |date=2016-07-01 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-315-42375-3 |language=en}}</ref>

As the North American porcupine is widely distributed across the continent, it appears in the mythology of various Native American tribes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Native American Porcupine Mythology |url=https://www.native-languages.org/legends-porcupine.htm |access-date=2025-07-17 |website=www.native-languages.org}}</ref> In some, such as the [[Pit River Tribe]], they can signify good fortune in hunting.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lake-Thom |first=Bobby |url=http://archive.org/details/spiritsofearth00lake |title=Spirits of the earth: a guide to Native American nature symbols, stories, and ceremonies |date=1997 |publisher=New York : Plume |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-452-27650-5 |page=91}}</ref> The [[Arapaho]], originally settled in the [[Red River Valley]], made extensive use of quillwork and continued to seek out quills through trade or long expeditions after forced migration to the [[Great Plains]], where porcupines were scarce.{{Sfn|Roze|2012|p=154}} They are one of several groups that made use of the North American porcupine for clothing and art, as the practice is recorded from Maine to Alaska.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Orchard |first=William C. |url=https://archive.org/details/techniqueofporcu00orch |title=The technique of Porcupine-Quill decoration among the North American Indians |date=1971 |publisher=Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation |isbn=978-0-943604-00-8 |location=Liberty, UT |page=4}}</ref>

The porcupine is seen as a pest in some areas due to their salt-seeking behavior. Porcupines will seek out any source of [[sodium]] to replenish their reserves after consuming significant amounts of plant matter, and will resort to gnawing on anything that has residues of sodium on or in it, including those from human perspiration. They may chew on tool handles or [[Mineral lick|salt licks]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kalinowski |first=Tom |date=2017-05-14 |title=Porcupines And Their Need For Salt - |url=https://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2017/05/adirondack-wildlife-porcupine-salt-2.html |access-date=2025-07-17 |website=The Adirondack Almanack |language=en-US}}</ref> and bite marks are often found in [[plywood]] and [[Tire|rubber tires]] or hoses due to the [[Sodium salt|sodium salts]] in adhesives used in their manufacture.{{Sfn|Roze|2012|pp=131-133}}

==References==
<references/>

=== Sources ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|title=Mammalogy: adaptation, diversity, ecology |url=https://archive.org/details/mammalogy-adaptation-diversity-ecology-fifth-edition-george-a.-feldhamer-joseph- |edition=5th |first1=George A. |last1=Feldhamer |first2=Joseph F. |last2=Merritt |first3=Carey |last3=Krajewski |first4=Janet L. |last4=Rachlow |first5=Kelley M. |last5=Stewart |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |date=2020 |location=Baltimore |lccn= 2019017733 | isbn=978-1-4214-3652-4}}
* {{Cite book|title=Walker's mammals of the world |last1= Nowak|first1= Ronald M|date= 1991 |volume=2 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-3970-X |location=Baltimore |url=https://archive.org/details/walkersmammalsof0002nowa_h9x0/}}
* {{Cite book|title=Porcupines: the animal answer guide |last=Roze |first=Uldis |location=Baltimore |publisher= Johns Hopkins University Press |doi=10.1353/book.18820 |isbn=978-1-4214-0759-3 |oclc=826999944 |year=2012 |url=https://archive.org/details/porcupinesanimal0000roze/mode/2up}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikiquote}}
* [https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/porcupine Wildlife Conservation: Porcupine] – African Wildlife Foundation
* [http://science-ed.pnl.gov/pals/resource/cards/porcupines.stm "Resource Cards: What About Porcupines?"] – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
* [https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1544/m1/ ''Porcupine control in the western states''] – University of North Texas Digital Library
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20151208103216/http://ilovepets.co/porcupines-as-pets/ The Complete Resource To Keeping Porcupines As Pets]}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Porcupine}}
[[Category:Porcupines| ]]
[[Category:Body plans]]
[[Category:Hystricognath rodents]]
[[Category:Rodents by common name]]