Hello, friends! Due to unexpected illness, we're off to a bit of delayed start this month, but now we're back in the saddle and ready to take a look at our 5 fun facts for our wildlife friend of the month, the North American Porcupine!
The name porcupine comes from the French words “porc” and “espin.” Literally translated, the name means “spine pig” in French!
The porcupine is actually a rodent! It is the second largest rodent in North America, only surpassed in size by the beaver.
Porcupines have impressive choppers! Their front teeth grow constantly so they always need to chew on things! Their teeth are also a bold orange color because of the iron oxide in their enamel.
A group of porcupines is called a prickle, while a baby porcupine is called a porcupette!
Porcupines can swim! Each quill is hollow inside and full of air, which helps the animal float!
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