The Quill Pig

Photograph by Bates Littlehales

What do you call a group of sharp little mammals covered in a defense mechanism of 30,000 quills? You call them a prickle of porcupines! The quills are indeed the hallmark of these animals, known as the prickliest of rodents, though its Latin meaning is "quill pig." Controlled by muscles, the quills lift up in warning when a porcupine is threatened. Contrary to popular belief, a porcupine does not have the ability to throw its quills; they actually slap a victim with their tail in self-defense.

Last fall, I spotted two porcupines crossing my front yard – hmmm, does that make a prickle? They are quite comical to watch with their plodding gait, lifting one foot at a time, claws spread wide, gently testing the area in front of them. I have since learned that porcupines are extremely near-sighted, seeing only two to five feet in the distance, so they move with great caution. However, they do have a keen sense of smell, hearing, and taste. When the two heard me, they immediately went up the nearest tree, chattering and clacking their teeth, a warning for me to back away. The larger one was shaking and swaying on the limb, announcing his distress with low grunts and whines. Often times their high-pitched cry is mistaken for a bobcat or mountain lion. Porcupines are shy, so my presence was making them terribly stressed; and I was probably interrupting the rituals of their mating season. On my approach, one of them decided to produce his noxious odor to stop me in my tracks, while at the same time spraying urine from his perch at the top of the tree above the second porcupine. I presume the offender was the male, as research revealed that they perform a very vocal mating dance and spray urine over the head of the female.

Female porcupines give birth to a single baby, seven months after mating. Quills are soft on the newborns, called “porcupettes,” and they harden within several hours after birth. Within only a couple of days, the baby begins to forage for food; mother and baby will stay together for about six months. Would this photo, then be a “prickle of porcupettes”?

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/Fritz Reiss

In the winter, porcupines sleep in a den, sometimes for two to three days at a time, coming out only to feed, then return to shelter. Solitary for most of the year, porcupines will share a den for the communal heat, which consists of earth or rock caves and hollow logs. They are mainly nocturnal and do not hibernate; in all other seasons, they roost and feed in trees. One would believe porcupines to be accomplished tree climbers – they are not. According to the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, “thirty percent of the animals examined in one study showed evidence of healed fractures indicating that they had fallen out of trees.”

Porcupines are not territorial, and their home range may be as large as two hundred acres. Strict vegetarians, they will munch their way through a large variety of plants, shrubs, and trees. During the winter months, they will feed on pine needles and tree bark; summertime brings a menu of grasses, leaves, dandelions, clover and other wildflowers. Porcupines can swim, so pondweeds and water lilies are also part of the summer diet.

Regarded as one of the most important mammalian forestry pests, the common porcupine often causes death of timber and ornamental trees by girdling the bark of the trunk or stripping all of the bark above the snowline. Their feeding habits also contribute to orchard and crop damage, as well as injury to domestic animals and the transmitting of diseases. While generally thought of as a nuisance, some people consider the porcupine edible. Native Americans have been using the quills for centuries to make boxes, jewelry, and other artwork.

Porcupines have a great love of salt, which is why you see them loitering around the edges of highways that are salted during the winter. Individual animals will gnaw woodwork, furniture, tools, saddles, and other objects that have received salt deposits from human perspiration. Their search for sodium can bring about the destruction of objects such as handrails, steps, and doorways.

In our region, the predators of the porcupine include humans, fishers, martens, coyotes, and bald eagles. Fishers tend to be the most successful predators due to their technique of flipping the porcupine on its back, exposing the unprotected belly. A nasty, vicious animal, the Fisher will kill for the sport even when not hungry as was evident at a neighbors when all his chickens were killed, most of the decapitated birds left in the yard. The Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife website states, “The fisher (Martes pennanti), is relatively common in many areas despite the fact that it was once eliminated from Massachusetts. Considered by many to be a strictly wilderness species, the fisher is now appearing in more populated areas.”

Fisher Photo by John Wasserman

The North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is one of the world's largest rodents; it is a medium-sized animal, related to mice, rats, and beaver. An adult animal is about twenty inches long, not counting the tail, and weighs from ten to thirty pounds. Research shows fossils of porcupine ancestors that date back to the Oligocene epoch, about thirty million years ago, and that they originated in South America. The porcupine might not be one of the great beauties of the natural world, but they have proven themselves masters of survival. Act I, Scene V from Hamlet, reminds us that all creatures have a place in art, as well as science:

I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul…
…And each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quills upon the fretful porpentine {sic}”

Living With Wildlife

If you live in the woods you live with the wildlife – plain and simple, right? When you choose the country life you have to expect animals, after all they were here first. Well in my corner of New Marlborough, I might be thought of as the “attractor of wildlife” because I feed the birds. Now, mind you, I am a very conscientious bird feeder – taking the feeders down in the spring, putting them back in the late fall. In the meantime, I put out hummingbird feeders and enjoy almost two dozen of those speedy little birds all summer, and have never had any animal take down those juice feeders. I also have a small compost pile that ends up being food for the crows which are very territorial birds. These crows know immediately when I throw out any food and within minutes there are five or six that descend on the food and devour it all. That is the extent of my feeding the birds until winter - then everything comes out - feeders for suet, nuts, fruit, a large trough for cracked corn for the turkeys, and plenty of sunflower seeds for all!

I adore animals of all kinds. I respect them, appreciate them, and am very concerned about their habitats and continued survival in our area. I have certified my property with National Wildlife Federation as a habitat for native plants and wildlife, and I am in the process of working with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). According to the Service, “the program supports cooperative efforts with private landowners interested in conserving natural habitat for species at risk, including Federally listed endangered or threatened species and proposed or candidate species.” In addition, I am a bird watcher and counter with the Audubon Society, as I have been most of my adult life, and am involved with the much-needed record keeping of the species that come and go in this area. I have walked the woods of this village my entire life. For hours on end as children, we roamed the hills, fields, and forests, never encountering a bear, never seeing a fox, bobcat, wolf, fisher, coyote or mountain lion – all of which live amongst us here in New Marlborough, and all of which I have seen in my corner of New Marlborough on a regular basis for the last twenty years.

As our hillsides, fields and mountains are slipping away to logging and clearing and construction of mammoth houses, it has disrupted the natural habitats of the wildlife and, Mass Audubon reports that, “encounters between humans and wildlife become more and more common.” In the 60’s growing up in New Marlborough, we did not have much development going on, so it was rare for anyone to see the bigger animals of our woods during the day, but on occasion while driving at night, something might cross the road in front of you. Reports of bears are numerous now in our area, and although bear attacks are VERY rare, when one happens it makes the news, because of the rarity of the event, and promptly alarms the people that do not know how to live in the country with the wildlife. More often then not, the bears attacked because humans aggravated them, and it is these people that need to learn how to live with the wildlife.

Wildlife will come through our yards regardless if there are birdfeeders, compost piles, or food left out – I have tried it. I went for six weeks without putting out a single morsel of anything and had as many, if not more sightings of animals then I did when I was actively feeding the birds and composting. Family pets attract wildlife, as well as farms. The farmer and wildlife have been dealing with each other since the beginning of time, but we cannot live without the farmer, so they each learn to adapt and co-exist. The attraction for wild animals to farms will never end, how could it? All those smells are tempting to wildlife, all that movement of barnyard animals is attracting. The fox or fisher sees a group of chickens; a bear smells the manure with bits of undigested grain. Bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions, all want a taste of the baby calves, lambs, colts, or even the family dog or cat - this is reality folks, if you choose to own any animals, expect the wildlife to roam your land. Do not leave your pet vulnerable tied up outside all day alone, or at night, it makes them an easy target for packs of coyotes, or a mountain lion. They need protection from the wildlife too!


A few other temptations to wildlife are from our barbecue grills that have the tasty scent of meat or chicken, and from our garbage cans. There sits the grill or can on a deck or porch, or out in the yard, and the wildlife, with their strong sense of smell, cannot resist. It is like sending out a dinner invitation. I have seen garbage cans left at the end of driveways by weekend homeowners on Sunday for pickup on Thursday or Friday and of course, by then it has been toppled by wildlife and strewn all over the road. These things attract the wildlife, plain and simple. Secure garbage cans with strong bungee cords, or take a weekly trip to the transfer station, it only takes a half hour or so of your time, plus the purchase of the yearly sticker helps with funding operations. You might try to compress and freeze the food waste garbage and take it with you if you are gone for the week, for disposal when you reach your destination. Do not leave it outside, and please, do not burn it either, that is pollution and is against the law. Scrub your grill after each use, at the very least go to Kmart and get a big plastic specially shaped grill cover (under $10) to help cover any scents. Our grill sits out in the yard, clean and covered, and the bears that do come through have never disturbed it.

Wildlife abounds here in our corner of New Marlborough, I watch like clockwork, twice, sometimes three times a day, as fox trot down a driveway that leads to the chickens, past the tempting manure and compost piles, in hopes of getting something to eat. I have seen the bear travel that same road, and watched one day while he lay right down on the manure and started eating it. One farm nearby has a fox family that returns each year to have a litter of pups, and another farm births calves in the spring and so a mountain lion frequents that area – yes, mountain lion! My family and I have seen the mountain lion about a half dozen times in the same area each time. Folks should be much more concerned about the wildcats then any other animal, especially the bears. Bears will flee from humans nine times out of ten, bobcats and mountain lions are born stalkers, and they will stalk your small pets and barnyard animals, and even you if they are desperately hungry.


For almost twelve years, I have lived in my house in the woods, and for fifty plus years I’ve been a New Marlborough resident. I have to say that I have not seen bears that many times, but I have seen the cats, coyotes, and wolves a lot, as well as fishers. Fishers are another very dangerous animal to family pets and chickens – one family in our area found all their chickens decapitated and strewn all over their yard. Fishers kill for the sport and this incident proved it as they only ate a couple and left all the rest. The following is from the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife website, “The fisher (Martes pennanti), is relatively common in many areas despite the fact that it was once eliminated from Massachusetts. Considered by many to be a strictly wilderness species, the fisher is now appearing in more populated areas.” We had a nest of Phoebes destroyed by what we believe was a fisher, because of the telltale sign of decapitation, as first they eat the head, and leave carcasses behind. My family and I on at least a dozen occasions have seen a very large bobcat that frequents our area each winter, probably attracted by the possibility of catching a domesticated animal when food supplies in the woods are limited in the winter. We have seen a big black wolf, and we have seen a white one two times, yes, a wolf, not a coyote. Each sighting of the wolves has been at a neighboring farm.

We all need to take responsibility, face the reality of living in the country, learn, and become educated about wildlife. A strong suggestion – keep an eye on your pets when they go outside, left unattended, they do not have a chance against the wildcats or fishers. Dogs don’t necessarily scare wildlife away – regular visiting wildlife become accustomed to the barking and eventually learn it is not a threat.


In conclusion, Mass Audubon has a slogan, “conserve your corner of the world!” I intend to protect and preserve my little corner, and do all I can to help save our planet. It can start right in your own home or in your backyard. Numerous agencies exist, many in Southern Berkshire County, and throughout Massachusetts, that are committed to saving our natural resources and wildlife. I have closed with two favorite quotes, and have then listed agencies you can contact to learn how to live with the wildlife, and what you can do to help protect our plant and wildlife species native to New England. As Fall fast approaches, the wildlife will be more diligent and determined to find food, so expect to see them more often as we head toward winter. The bears in particular, as they need to store up calories for their winter sleep. Please be aware and pay attention to mother nature, she really has all the answers we will ever need.

The National Wildlife Federation asks, “Why Care? The threat to our nation’s imperiled wildlife is immediate and real. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment and leave behind a legacy of protecting endangered species and the special places they call home.”

Noted Canadian conservationist David Suzuki describes this challenge well, writing: "I am often asked, 'What is the most urgent environmental problem confronting us?' My answer is the human mind, the beliefs and values it clings to. Where once we understood that we are dependent on, and interconnected with the rest of nature, the modern mentality believes that we have escaped this reality. Our big-city lifestyles, the fragmented explosion of information, the very nature of scientific reductionism, and the assumptions underlying modern economics all shatter the sense of interconnectedness and blind us to the consequences of our actions. Our most urgent challenge, therefore, is to rediscover our place in the natural world."

http://www.fws.gov/ – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://www.massaudubon.org/ – Massachusetts Audubon
http://www.nature.org/ – The Nature Conservancy

Previously published in the New Marlborough 5 Village News, October 2006