Porcupine

Meet the rodents found at the Alaska Zoo, the North American porcupine and the Arctic ground squirrel. We will add Arctic ground squirrel information to this page soon! Back to animal directory.

north american porcupine

Erethizon dorsatum

LIFE SPAN: 15 years under human managed care.

RANGE: Porcupines are found across most of the forested areas in Alaska, with the exception of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, and the neighboring islands to the west.

SIZE: North American porcupines reach 40 pounds as adults, with some variation. They are smaller than their 60-pound cousin, the African Crested Porcupine. Baby porcupines are called porcupettes and only weigh a few ounces at birth.

PHYSICAL FEATURES: Porcupines are covered over most of their bodies by quills, hair which has been adapted and modified for protection with strong shafts and black tips which are covered in tiny barbs. The barbs spread when the quill enters skin and they act as treble hooks, digging their way further in while not easily pulled out. Quills are touch receptors, insulators and they increase buoyancy. Porcupines have an excellent sense of smell, average hearing and their eyesight is average to poor.

FOOD: Porcupines eat berries and leaves and twigs in the summer, while feeding on the inner bark of trees in the winter.

BEHAVIOR: Porcupines are members of the rodent family. They must gnaw on wood and other items to keep their front incisors short. Upper and lower incisors have an orange enamel layer which is thought to be a strengthening layer for gnawing. Females give birth to one porcupette per pregnancy, a rare trait among other rodents. Porcupettes are born with quills that harden within hours of birth upon contact with the air. Porcupines are usually solitary. Predators include lynx, great horned owls and larger mammals. If a predator flips a porcupine over, they can attack through the belly and avoid the quills (no quills on belly).

CONSERVATION: Porcupines are stable and common throughout their range. They are considered a delicacy in some areas of Alaska.