My post yesterday of this visiting porcupine did look odd, making some wonder where his head was. Here's another shot of him as he slowly vamoosed showing a profile of his small head.
Their nose and bellies are where predators attack them so they do their best to keep their back to attackers and not get turned over.
Porcupines have a relatively high longevity and hold the record for being the longest-living rodent, with one individual named Cooper living past 32 years. Not surprising when they have those hurtful weapons on their backs.
A baby porcupine is a porcupette. When born, a porcupette's quills are soft hardened hair. They harden within a few days, forming the sharp quills of adults. Hmmm, interesting name for the one thing you shouldn't do is pet a porcupine.....
Thanks for any comments, faves and suggestions!
Tags: Porcupine rodent quills wildlife
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A shy porcupine came to visit. Wouldn't smile for me, kept his back to me most of the time. Handy tho to show the mixed colors of the various sized arsenal on his back. Single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur, and hair.
"Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin, embedded in the skin musculature. Quills are released by contact or may drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New quills grow to replace lost ones.
Despite what is commonly believed, porcupines do not have the ability to launch their quills at range." wikipedia
That's a good thing.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Tags: porcupine rodent largest rodent quills wildlife
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I caught the neighborhood raccoon hoping to quench his thirst at my neighbor's bird bath. Or take a bath. Unfortunately the bird bath was dry this time. Enjoyed watching him trying to climb in. A few more shots in comments.
Enjoy a wonderful weekend!
Tags: raccoon wildlife wild neighbors bird bath
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Our neighborhood raccoon was checking out my neighbors bird bath for a drink. Unfortunately for him it was dry.
Love watching him, but not so much refilling bird feeders he's enjoyed.
Did you know:
"It's unusual for White House pets to start as Thanksgiving dinner, but that was the case with Rebecca, the raccoon that lived with Calvin Coolidge for part of his presidency. At the time, raccoon meat wasn't a terribly uncommon sight on dinner tables in America. But once he met the live critter, Coolidge decided he was more interested in adopting her than having her for supper. Rebecca soon became part of the family, receiving an engraved collar for Christmas, taking part in the annual Easter Egg roll, and frequently accompanying the president on walks around the White House grounds. Having a wild animal in the White House may sound absurd by today's standards, but considering Coolidge's pets at the time also included a bobcat, a goose, a donkey, two lion cubs, an antelope, and a wallaby, Rebecca fit right in." mentalfloss.com
Have a safe, wonderful weekend!
Tags: Raccoon Procyon lotor wildlife wild neighbor bandit
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A nice surprise one morning when going out for the newspaper. This nervous mother had her 4 kits up our cherry tree. She wasn't too glad to see me. She wandered off a ways but kept a close watch on me. Was enjoyable watching the little ones climb back down and join her. Nice way to start my day.
Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus originally classified the raccoon as a relative of the bear in 1740. He named it Ursus cauda elongata and later Ursus lotor, which roughly translates to “long-tailed bear” and “washer bear,” respectively. In 1780, a German naturalist named Gottlieb Conrad Christian Storr came along and corrected Linnaeus’ error, creating a new genus for the raccoon, which is still used today. Now the raccoon is classified as Procyon lotor, which can be roughly translated to “early washer dog.” Hmmm, from a bear to a dog....but closer.
May your weekend be wonderful!
Tags: raccoon mother raccoon procyon lotor wildlife front yard wild neighbors
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