About
Animal Facts
Common Name:
North American porcupine
Scientific Name:
Erethizon dorsatum
Behavior:
  • Vocalizations include grunts, whines, shrieks, and tooth clicking.
  • One dominant male will breed with multiple females, but only if the female wants to.
  • Solitary and territorial but might den with other porcupines in the winter season.
Diet:
Herbivore
Height:
2.5 ft
Weight:
20 lb
Length:
2.5 ft
Life Span:
18 yrs
Gestation Period:
210 days
Number of Young:
1
Habitats:
  • Forest
  • Grassland
  • Shrubland
Fun Facts:
  • Second largest rodent in North America behind the beaver.
  • Topical antibiotic on quills help prevent infection especially if accidentally stuck by their own quills.
  • May have up to 30,000 quills that can be up to 3 inches long.
Threats:
  • Poaching / Over Consumption
Endangered Status
Endangered Status
  • Extinct in Wild (EW)
  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Near Threatened (NT)
  • Least Concern (LC)
  • Not Evaluated (NE)

Keepers spend a lot of time creating new enrichment for this curious rodent to explore. She is most active early in the morning or late afternoon. They are great climbers, so look around the entire habitat, as she may be at the very top of the rock walls!