Animal Tracks » Porcupine
Porcupine
If you guessed the tracks of a Porcupine, you were right!
Porcupines are primarily nocturnal animals, but can also be seen during the daylight hours. Their main diet consists of the inner bark of trees, also called "cambium".
Being vegetarians, Porcupines will also eat twigs, leaves, fruits, berries, nuts and foliage. Porcupines see very poorly and move slow.
When threatened, they will climb a tree to escape predators, and will use their quills if need-be.
The quills of a Porcupine are actually loosely attached and if attacked by a predator, the porcupine will slap the attacker with its tail leaving quills in the face, sides and often eyes of the unlucky animal.
A single porcupine could have as many as 30,000 quills. Quills have hollow shafts with solid tips. They can reach up to five inches long.
Their tracks have four toes on the front foot and five on the hind foot. As illustrated on the tracks homepage the trail marks made by their long claws usually show. Their tail drag-marks are also sometimes visible.
| Areas Where You Might Find This Track | Trails Where You Might Find This Track |
Fact: If left untreated, the quills of a Porcupine will work their way in deeper and deeper into your skin.
