This animal was encountered in March 2003 in the National Park Kejimkujik, Nova Scotia, Canada. While taking some pictures the animal turned its vicious back, teeth chattered loud and disappeared slowly up a tree.

This new world porcupine inhabits the forests of North-America and Canada where it feeds on bark, conifer needles, roots, berries, seeds, grasses etc. The animal has a poor eyesight but has very good senses of touch, hearing and smell. Much time is spend in trees, easily climbing to great heights in search of food. One of the signs of porcupine presence are young branches and twigs scattered all over the forest floor. The end of these branches is cut in a 45 degree angle, typical for members of the rodent family. Also the incisor marks can be visible.


When a porcupine leaves its tracks in soft mud, the typical pebbly pads are becoming visible. These prints where found in Weymouth, Nova Scotia.


The quills of porcupine are hollow with microscopic barbs on the ends. This allows the quills to move in one direction and even "walk" through an animal that has got into our spiny friend. The 40x and 100x magnifications show the barbs on the tip of a porcupines quill.