African Porcupine Quills

The African Porcupine's quills make it the fanciest little mammal on the continent. When the porcupine feels threatened, it will stamp its feet, clicking its teeth, hissing, and growling as it raises its quills to defend itself. In addition to warding off predators, the porcupine's quills help it blend in with the surrounding brush. The nocturnal African Porcupine prefers hilly rocky environments where it can hide in caves and under brush during the day. It is primarily an herbivore, eating roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruit. Its quills can vary from 1” to 12” long, but most of our quills are about 9” long. In Africa, these quills are traditionally kept for good luck or used for ornament. They are also often used to make musical instruments, and were once used as containers for gold dust.