Porcupines

Uldis Roze is professor emeritus at Queens College in New York City. He is a contributor to Natural History magazine and is the author of The North American Porcupine.

• AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Introducing PorcupinesWhat is a porcupine?How many kinds of porcupines are there?Who's who among the Old World porcupines?Who's who among the New World porcupines?Why are porcupines important?Why should people care about porcupines?What is the current classification of porcupines?What characterizes the major groups of porcupines?When did porcupines evolve?Why is the North American porcupine successful?2. Form and Function of PorcupinesWhat are the largest and smallest living porcupines?Can porcupines see color?Can porcupines swim?Can porcupines burrow?What senses are best developed in porcupines?How do porcupines use their tails?How many quills does a porcupine have?Do quills provide good winter insulation?Does a porcupine throw its quills?What happens when a quill strikes a predator?How does a porcupine minimize self-quilling?How long does it take to replace a lost quill?How did porcupine quills evolve?Why are a porcupine's front teeth orange?Do porcupines have scent glands?How long does it take for a porcupine to digest a meal?Do porcupines suffer from old-age diseases?3. Porcupine ColorsWhat color are porcupine quills?Is there a reason for coat color patterns in porcupines?Do porcupine colors change with age?How does fur color indicate that a female porcupine is lactating?Are albino porcupines found in nature?Why do porcupines glow under a black light?4. Porcupine BehaviorAre porcupines social?Do porcupines fight?Do porcupines bite?Do porcupines play?How smart are porcupines?How do porcupines communicate?Do porcupines hibernate?How fast can porcupines run?How do porcupines climb trees?Do porcupines fall out of trees?How can I tell whether a tree is being used as food source by a porcupine?5. Porcupine EcologyWhich geographic regions have the most porcupine species?Do porcupines migrate?Can several porcupine species live together in the samearea?Are there porcupines in the desert?How do porcupines survive the winter?Do porcupines get sick?How can you tell if a porcupine is sick?Are porcupines good for the environment?What are the important porcupine predators?What possible mutualists live with porcupines?Do porcupines compete for food with other vertebrate herbivores?Do porcupines undergo population cycles?6. Reproduction and DevelopmentHow do porcupines reproduce?Do porcupines always reproduce in the same season?How is a male porcupine distinguished from a female?How long are porcupines pregnant?How is a baby porcupine born?How many babies do porcupines have?What is a baby porcupine called?Do porcupines care for their young?How long do female porcupines nurse their young?How fast do porcupines grow?How can you tell the age of a porcupine?At what age do porcupines start breeding?Do female porcupines go through menopause?How long do porcupines live?How do individual porcupines differ in reproductive success?7. Foods and FeedingWhat do porcupines eat?How do porcupines find food?Do porcupines scavenge?Do porcupines store food?Why do porcupines eat clay?How often do porcupines drink?8. Porcupines and HumansDo porcupines make good pets?Should people feed porcupines?What should I do if I find an injured porcupine?What should I do if I find a diseased porcupine?How can I see porcupines in the wild?Why are so many porcupines found as roadkills?9. Porcupine Problems (from a human's viewpoint)Are some porcupines pests?Why do porcupines sometimes gnaw the rubber tires of cars?How can I keep porcupines from my cabin in the woods?Can there be too many porcupines in a forest?How can I keep porcupines away from valuable trees?Are porcupines dangerous to people or pets?Do porcupines transmit human diseases?Is it safe to eat porcupines?How can I remove quills from a pet?What should I do if I'm injured by a porcupine?Can porcupines act as invasive species?10. Human Problems (from a porcupine's viewpoint)Are any porcupine species endangered?Will porcupines be affected by global warming?Why do people hunt and eat porcupines?Is there a hunting season for porcupines?What can I do to help porcupines?11. Porcupines in Stories and LiteratureWhat roles do porcupines play in religion and mythology?Are there porcupines in fables and folk tales?What role do porcupines play in native cultures?How are porcupines featured in poetry and literature?What king used the porcupine in his royal seal?What place names feature the porcupine?12. "Porcupinology"Who studies porcupines?Which species are best known?Which species are least known?How do scientists tell porcupine species apart?How can a researcher safely mark a porcupine for identification in the wild?What don't we know about porcupines?Appendix A: Porcupines of the WorldAppendix B: Worldwide Wildlife Rehabilitation OrganizationsBibliographyIndex

Porcupines: The Animal Answer Guide presents solid, current, science of porcupine biology... A good general introduction into the biology of porcupines. -- Ian Paulsen Birdbooker Report Delightful. -- Jason Bittel Slate A fine survey recommended for any serious natural history holding. Midwest Book Review Roze has produced a useful guide to a familiar but often not entirely understood mammal... This informative, interesting volume will be a valuable addition to any academic library. Choice A tome that can be appreciate by trained biologists, interested general readers, and budding junior naturalists... Anyone interested in mammalian natural history will want to add this excellent work to their collection. -- John L. Koprowski Quarterly Review of Biology