Common Names
- North-American Porcupine (en)
- Puercoespín norteamericano, Ursón (es)
- Porc-épic d'Amérique (fr)
- Baumstachelschwein, Urson (de)
Taxonomy
- Rodentia
- Erethizontidae
- Erethizontinae
- Erethizon dorsatum
North-American Porcupine - Erethizon dorsatum
The second largest rodent after the beaver. Dark-brown in color with white highlights. Slow moving and defends with exposing quills after warning with a strong odor. Lives in coniferous and mixed forested areas, feeding mostly twigs, roots and berries in summer and needles and bark in winter.
Where & When to Spot
My only observation of this species happened in a forested area near Tadoussac in May.
How to Identify
Color and shape. They don't flee if detected. Don't get too close unless you want to expose yourself to the odor and quills.
Photos
North-American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Tadoussac - 2018-05-20
NIKON D500; TAMRON SP 90mm F2.8 Di Macro VC USD F017N; Focal Length 90mm; Exposure 1/1000; Aperture f5.6; Iso 5000;
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