4 minute read
Porcupines In Wisconsin: Prickly Neighbors Of The Northwoods
Jada Thur
Jada Thur is a communications specialist in the DNR’s Office of Communications.
If you've ever hiked through the forests of northern Wisconsin, you might have crossed paths with one of the state’s most curious and spikiest residents: the porcupine. With their round bodies, sleepy eyes and more than 30,000 quills, porcupines are one of the most unique mammals in the state.
The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is a rodent, the second largest in North America after the beaver. Most weigh 30 pounds or more in summer, but their weight drops dramatically during the lean months of winter.
Porcupines are covered in long, sharp quills that protect them from predators. These quills aren’t just for show. When threatened, a porcupine will rattle its tail, turn its back and, if the threat continues, swing its barbed-quill tail as defense.
Contrary to popular belief, porcupines can’t shoot their quills, but the quills are loosely attached and stick easily when touched.
Porcupines aren’t fast. In fact, they’re known for being slow, clumsy climbers. But what they lack in speed, they make up for with armor. Their quills make most predators think twice.
Fishers are one of the only animals skilled enough to hunt porcupines, inflicting quick bites to the face and nose, which can quickly turn fatal.
Home Sweet Forest
Porcupines live in forests across Wisconsin, especially in the north. They love areas with lots of pine, hemlock and hardwood trees. These forests give them plenty to eat and places to hide.
During the day, porcupines often sleep in hollow trees, rock piles or even abandoned buildings. They’re mostly nocturnal, meaning they’re active at night and love to explore under the moonlight.
Porcupines are vegetarians with an unusual diet. In the winter, they munch on tree bark and pine needles. In the warmer months, they enjoy leaves, fruits, berries and even garden vegetables, if they find a way into a backyard.
Their teeth are strong and sharp, perfect for chewing wood and stripping bark. If you spot a small pile of freshly snipped branches, it’s likely porcupines are nearby.
Sometimes, porcupines can be a bit of a nuisance. They’re known to chew on canoe paddles, cabins and even car tires, especially if the tires are coated in salt. Porcupines need sodium to rid their bodies of high levels of potassium from leaves and bark.
Female porcupines cause the most damage in May and June, as their need for salty meals culminates during pregnancy and lactation. Because they crave salt, porcupines might gnaw on anything that’s been touched by sweaty human hands.
Still, the need to gnaw can allow porcupines to play an important role in Wisconsin’s forest ecosystem by helping to shape which trees grow.
Spiky But Sweet Romance
Porcupines make a surprising range of sounds, from humming to whining, especially during mating season. While they mostly live alone, porcupines usually mate between September and November.
Males will often follow a female for days, waiting patiently for her to show interest. During this time, both porcupines may squeal, grunt or whine. When the female is ready, she makes it clear.
Porcupines have a very careful and specific way of mating to avoid those painful quills. The female flattens her quills and raises her tail to signal it’s safe, and the male approaches with great care.
After mating, the pair go their separate ways. The female gives birth to a single baby, called a porcupette, in the spring. Porcupettes are born with soft quills that harden within hours — nature’s way of making birth a little easier.
If you see a porcupine in the wild, enjoy it from a distance. They won’t bother you unless you bother them. If you’re hiking with a dog, keep it leashed. Curious pups can end up with painful quills in the snout.
Next time you're exploring Wisconsin’s woods and hear rustling in the trees, don’t be too quick to assume it’s a squirrel. It just might be your quiet, prickly neighbor: the porcupine.
