Porcupine+and+Porcupine+Plants

This is the African crested porcupine which is the largest porcupine species. There are about two dozen porcupine species in the world and all have sharp quills they use for protection but none of them can shoot their quills. The quills are actually modified hairs that have a needle sharp tip with backward facing barbs. These quills generally lie flat but when the animal is threatened they can erect the quills which detach in the predator's face. Unlike some other species of porcupines the African crested porcupine has long tail quills called rattle quills that are nearly a foot long. Porcupines are rodents which mean they have teeth that continuously grow and have to be worn down. Although they primarily eat roots, tubers, bark and other plant parts they will sometimes eat carrion and chew on bones to obtain calcium and wear down their teeth.

Source: http://www.nhptv.org/NatureWorks/porcupine.htm