Book 4, Question 132
Why Do Porcupines Wander After Dusk?
A porcupine is a slow, night-shift plant eater. Dusk means fewer busy roads, and wandering lets this clumsy climber work while many hunters nap. Its quills are a warning coat, not a thrown spear.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 4
More fun facts
- Hikers in some parks may spot porcupines around dawn and dusk.
- Once a quill is in a predator's skin, it works its way deeper by about 1 millimeter an hour.
- An angry porcupine stomps its feet, hisses and shakes its quills.
- In winter, porcupines gnaw the inner bark of trees with sharp, chisel-like teeth.
- A porcupine can bring down a whole tree if it strips off too much bark.
- Porcupines are good climbers and often climb trees to find food.
- By pruning tree limbs, porcupines help move nutrients from the treetops down to the ground.
Sources: National Park Service, Smithsonian, National Geographic Kids, National Park Service
Questions kids ask
Why do porcupines chew on trees?
They eat the soft inner bark, especially in winter. At other times they also eat berries, leaves, seeds, grasses and roots.