Background

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Porcupines are large rodents native to Central Texas. They are great climbers and spend a lot of time in tress, so they are not always easily spotted. Porcupines are herbivore and their diet consists of plants, leaves, twigs, bark, and fruit.

 

Fun Facts

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• Porcupines have about 30,000 quills!

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• They cannot shoot their quills, they are released only by contact.

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• Porcupines have very few natural predators because of their quills.

 

Porcupines Concerns

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Porcupines tend to avoid highly populated areas, but if a dog and a porcupine get into a scuffle, that can be an expensive vet visit. If you do have a porcupine in the area, you can use natural deterrents to keep the porcupine out of your yard.

Deterrents: Motion lighting, loud noises, odor deterrents (cayenne, ammonia, wolf urine), don’t leave out pet food