 Porcupine Rodent that is heavy with short legs and is slow moving. The body is protected from head to tail with loosely attached erectile quills. Feeding on the succulent parts of the inner barks of trees and plants , and fruits being especially fond of salt.
Porcupines quills fall off and molt like an animals hair, and is replaced by new quills, they cannot throw their quills. In the old world the porcupines being largely terrestrial and nocturnal have smoother quills. They inhabit the parts of southern Europe Asia and Africa. Porcupines from the New World belong to a different family. The feet having been adapted for climbing and are at least partially aboreal. The tapering of each quill is covered with overlapping barbs . When it is imbedded and in the skin, and they are extremely difficult and may cause painful swelling. Two species inhabit North America: the the Canadian porcupine ( erethizon dorsation ) and a Western species ( E.epixanthum ). In South America is the tree porcupines (coendou) having a long prehensile tail. In North America the porcupine is often incorrectly called a hedgehog. | 
