The African porcupine is a large rodent that lives in a dangerous part of the world. With lions, leopards, hyenas and other vicious predators on the prowl, it's no wonder this creature has developed a great defense. Long, sharp quills cover the back half of the porcupine's body, and, when threatened, the animal charges backward to jab them into an attacker's body.
Added Effect: Not all of the African porcupine's hairs are prickly. Light hairs on its head and neck are soft, but the creature can raise them straight up to make predator's [sic] think the porcupine is bigger than it actually is.
Sound Signal: Modified spines on this mammal's tail are short, hollow and open at the end. The porcupine stiffens these quills and shakes them together to make a loud rattling sound to give enemies a warning before it charges at them.
Stand and Deliver[]
Sharp spines protect this creature.
Any creature that sees an African porcupine flare out the quills around its entire body and stamp its hind feet should know to get out of the way. The porcupine can charge backward at enemies to give them a face-full of 20-inch barbed quills that break off and stick into the victim's skin-and are very painful to pull out. Plus, some quills are loaded with bacteria that seeps into the wounds to cause burning infections, and can even kill victims. The prickly porcupine knows exactly how much damage it can do, so it bravely stands up to predators of all sizes, even hungry lions!
Porky-Pine: The African porcupine almost always keeps its blunt snout low to the ground as it forages through the night. It sniffs out roots and fruits that it can snip away with its sharp front teeth and grind down with wide teeth in its cheeks.
Little Things: When not defending itself, this creature leads a simple life. Mating pairs stay together for life and raise their young together.
And Don't Come Back[]
- A tourist on Safari in Africa spots a large African porcupine and is so amazed at the animal;s appearance that he wants a close-up photo. As the porcupine senses the man crawling near, it flares out its spines in warning.
- Thinking that the porcupine's threat display makes a great photo, the tourist snaps several pictures, and moves in even close. Seeing that its threat display didn't work, the porcupine charges backward, impaling the man's face with dozens of barbed quills.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The knowledge card specifies African Porcupines, while the trading card is titled the generic "Porcupine".
- The scientific names listed on the card refer to the Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), and the Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), respectively.
- The "Added Effect" section accidentally contains an apostrophe in "predators".