Porcupine, February 21

Amazing to see him Elke, how big is he?

How peculiar looking!

He or she was only small, about 45 cm without the tail, probably weighed about 6 kg. they amble quite slowly but climb trees with amazing agility. The woods in Nova Scotia just teem with them, and they do a lot of damage in the garden, stripping new buds and branches, as well as the bark from a tree. They can get to a weight of about 25 kg, and are very round and solid. First Nations people used to use the quills as needles and for weaving into decorative items. Dogs often get their snouts filled with them if they come into contact with a porcupine, very painful...

Awe looks so cute.

An NA Hedgehog! the spines on these fellows are a little longer though! I don't care much for either porcupines or skunks...don't mind raccoons. Do you suppose they're after budworms? I notice the twig drop from the firs which are also laden heavily with cones this year. I remember that you're close to the ocean...do you have much snow, Elke?

we had a hard winter with lots of snow, freezing rain and rain making cold surfaces like roads very slick, Lorilyn57. After surviving much colder winters in Montreal for over 30 years, this one has really got me down. Thank goodness for indoor plants and the knowledge that spring WILL come!
The twig drops were from the recent freezing rainstorm, the branches got so heavy with ice that they just broke off. the garden is littered.

Lovely photo, Elke. I have nominated it for the GOYpedia (Wildlife section).

Thank you Alanb!