It has hairless soles on its feet that help it climb trees. The porcupine is a blackish, quill-armored, slow-moving rodent with an appetite for tree bark and salt. The North American Porcupine averages 3.5 feet in length, including a 6-inch tail, and can weigh up to 40 pounds. The North American porcupine is the only species that lives in the U.S. and Canada, and is the largest of all porcupines. It lives in forests and often can be seen hunched into what appears to be a black ball high in a tree. The porcupine is a large, round, slow-moving rodent with a spectacular means of defense. The underside is covered with long, dark fur. North American Porcupines have a height of 12.6”-16.5” (32-42 cm), body length between 23.6”-35.4” (60-90 cm), and an overall weight in the range of 20-40 lb (9-18 kg). The upper body is covered with sharp quills nestled among long, thick fur ranging down the tail. It's muscular body is covered with up to 30,000 long, hollow and pointed quills. While it doesn’t occur in all parts of Pennsylvania, the porcupine is one of our best-known and most easily identified wild animals. The North American porcupine is one of the largest rodents found in North America, coming second to the North America beaver. The most recognizable feature of the porcupine is its quills. The feet have a naked sole with 4 toes on the front feet and 5 toes on the hind feet. Porcupines are usually dark brown or black in color, with white highlights. Other new world porcupines include the Brazilian porcupine ( Coendou prehensilis ), and the Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine ( Coendou mexicanus ). Half of the weight of the tail is composed of muscle. They have long spiny barbed hairs or quills. Porcupines are usually dark brown or black in color, with white highlights. Its body is up to 80 cm (31 inches) long, with a tail up to 30 cm. The North American porcupine is a member of the family Erethizontidae, a diverse group of rodents otherwise known as “New World porcupines”. A single animal may have 30,000 or more quills. Approximately 30 weeks after mating, the female gives birth usually to one baby. The family currently consists of around 18 species. It has a round body, small ears and a small head. These porcupines use their prehensile tail to grasp! The North American porcupine is one of the world's most recognizable animals because of it's … A porcupine … It could take up to six months to determine a prehensile-tailed porcupine's sex, because its sexual organs are internal. It has black to brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. They have a stocky body, a small face, short legs, and a short, thick tail.This species is the largest of the New World porcupines and is one of the largest North American rodents, second only to the American beaver in size. Instead, Zoo scientists use the innovative technique of analyzing DNA extracted from a quill to rapidly determine the sex. The North American porcupine uses its tail and the hairless soles of its feet to help it climb trees. They spend much of their time in the tree canopy, and are very vocal animals with a wide variety of calls. They have a chunky body, a small face, short legs, and a short thick tail.This species is the largest of the New World porcupines and is one of the largest North American rodents, second only to the American beaver in size. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is the largest species in the family, usually weighing less than 7 kg (15.4 pounds) though males occasionally grow significantly larger. The North American porcupine is a rodent. North American Porcupines have a height of 12.6”-16.5” (32-42 cm), body length between 23.6”-35.4” (60-90 cm), and an overall weight in the range of 20-40 lb (9-18 kg). 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