Range: The porcupine occurs in North America in a wide range. The species thrives in a variety of forest, terrain and climate types across the continent and has few enemies in the wild. In general, porcupines live in just about any terrain, including deserts, grasslands, mountains, rainforests and forests. Porcupines range through New England, much of the western half of the US, most of Canada, and Alaska. Porcupine attains its greatest abundance in mixed coniferous and hardwood forests. Equipped with a coat of long quills, porcupines are very distinctive in appearance. WATCH: Leopard vs. Porcupine—A Prickly Standoff, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/porcupines.html. Well, porcupines could live anywhere where the weather isn't cold. These animals usually live on the ground and can inhabit deserts, grasslands, and forests. Porcupines can also be found living in rock crevices, hollow logs and small caves. Other porcupine species live in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Fewer porcupines live in the southwestern or southeastern parts of the state. These yellowish-brown creatures also reside in the northeast -- think Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York -- although in significantly smaller numbers. Although there are numerous different species of porcupines in existence, only one roams throughout the United States, according to the National Geographic. These quills typically lie flat until a porcupine is threatened, then leap to attention as a persuasive deterrent. Porcupines do not hibernate and are active throughout the year. Habitat: Porcupines occupy a variety of habitat types. Some species of New World porcupines live in trees, however, Old World porcupines are exclusively terrestrial (ground dwellers). Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to 3,700 m (12,100 ft) high. Other porcupine species live in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Depending on what specific area of North America a porcupine lives in, he may spend most of his time up in trees or on the ground. The porcupine is found in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, and New England. There is a small population in the eastern United States. Geography of the North American Porcupine. Babies have soft quills at birth, which harden within a few days. In Washington State, porcupines occur mostly in forested areas, but also thrive along riparian zones, in brushy wetlands, and even in the shrub-steppe region of eastern Washington. The old world porcupine is brush-tailed generally live in parts of Africa and India whereas the new world porcupine lives in Canada, North and Central America. The major difference between Old and New world species is that the Old World porcupines live on the ground and often in small groups, while the New World porcupin… Porcupines live in many parts of North America, Africa, and South America. Shape The World. North American porcupines are herbivores that feed a lot on herbs, grasses, wood, tree bark, foliage, buds and apples. In California, porcupines are most common in montane conifer and wet meadow habitats, and can be found in the Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, southern Cascades, Modoc Plateau, Sierra Nevada, and Transverse Ranges. New World porcupines, including the well-studied North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), live in trees and eat leaves, fruits and bark. A single animal may have 30,000 or more quills. For example, porcupines that reside in the northeast usually spend most of their time in trees. They make a wide variety of sounds from whimpers to screams. Lancelot is the name of the North American porcupine who resides in the Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center & Woods Garden (presented by KeyBank) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.. Lifespan Wild: 5-7 years Captivity: 15-20 years Fun Facts. They rarely kill trees. A pleasant enough creature when left alone, the porcupine is quick to defend itself at the slightest threat. In Pennsylvania, most porcupines live in areas of extensive forests. Meet Our Porcupine. Biodiversity Heritage Library , Flickr // CC BY 2.0 That's right behind the second - … It makes its den in caves, decaying logs and hollow trees. The North American tree porcupine seems like an easy-to-keep animal: it lives in North America, so there is no need for an indoor facility, it is a rodent, it feeds on any vegetables and fruits, and it is a slow-moving animal, it does not jump, it only climbs, therefore you can build it a simple enclosure. 0 0. buehler. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. In the United States, they roam throughout both western and northern regions. Although the species of porcupine found in North America always lives among trees, it does not always live in mature forests and may be found in alder thickets along rivers and in dwarfed pine scrub along ridge crests. Some typical living environments for these solitary porcupines are desert shrublands, chaparral, mountains, grasslands, woodlands, sagebrush, swamps, tundra and thick forests -- whether deciduous, coniferous or mixed. Do porcupines live in the Bay Area, ... For many millions of years, South America was an island continent disconnected from North America, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica. The porcupines have a small range of habitats across the world. Porcupines are the thi rd largest rodents in the world, and the second largest in North America. Some even have prehensile (gripping) tails to aid in climbing. 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