the.com/porcupine
a creature so well-defended it makes predators regret their entire career choice.
means A large rodent covered in sharp, stiff quills that it raises to deter predators.
from From Old French 'porc espin,' literally 'spiny pig' — 'porc' (pig) plus 'espin' (spine, thorn), tracing back to Latin 'porcus' (pig) and 'spina' (thorn). Despite the name, it's no relative of the pig; medieval onlookers just saw a stout, bristling beast and reached for the nearest farmyard comparison. The English spelling wandered for centuries — 'porkpen,' 'porpentine,' even Shakespeare's 'fretful porpentine' — before settling on the form we know.
- Quill count
- Up to 30,000 barbed spines per animal
- Not thrown
- Quills detach on contact, never launched
- Tree dweller
- North American ones climb and live in trees
- Antibiotic quills
- Coated in grease that fights infection
- Name meaning
- Latin for thorn pig
north american porcupine — largest porcupine in north america, weighs up to 40 pounds, found from canada to mexico
crested porcupine — largest porcupine species, weighs up to 60 pounds, native to africa and italy
porcupine tree — english progressive rock band formed 1987, named metaphorically after the animal's defensive nature