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.
Common Names
- North-American Porcupine (en)
- Puercoespín norteamericano, Ursón (es)
- Porc-épic d'Amérique (fr)
- Baumstachelschwein, Urson (de)
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.
Where & When to Spot
My only observation of this species happened in a forested area near Tadoussac in May.
North-American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
tadoussac - May 20, 2018
NIKON D500; TAMRON SP 90mm F2.8 Di Macro VC USD F017N; Focal Length 90mm; Exposure 1/1000; Aperture f5.6; Iso 5000;
khm-20180520-1549-1526816975