Hi! Let's learn about porcupine quills.
- What are quills? Quills are very long, stiff hairs with sharp ends. They grow all over a porcupine’s body like a coat of pointy pins.
- How quills keep a porcupine safe When a hungry animal tries to bite a porcupine, the sharp quills make it say "ouch!" and go away. That helps the porcupine stay safe.
- Do quills shoot out? No — porcupines do NOT shoot their quills like arrows. If an animal touches the porcupine, some quills can come loose and stick into the animal, but the porcupine does not throw them.
- About floating and swimming Some porcupines can swim and float in water. Their quills don’t stop them from moving. The porcupine swims with its legs, and sometimes its fur and quills can trap a little air so the porcupine can float more easily for a short time.
- Safety tip Never touch a porcupine — their quills are sharp. If you see one, watch quietly from far away and let it go on its way.
Want to pretend? Curl up like a porcupine and make your fingers point out like quills — but only pretend, don’t touch real ones!