Priscilla the porcupine arrives at the Zoo

She has a big, round nose, sharp quills and a curly tail.

“She looks a little odd, but is a very cute animal,” quipped Jane Anne Franklin, Louisville Zoo Supervisor of Animal Training, about the Zoo’s newest resident.

Priscilla, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, was born March 31, 2007, and arrived at the Louisville Zoo in December from the Oklahoma City Zoo. She is the first prehensile-tailed porcupine ever at the Zoo.

There are about two dozen porcupine species in the world. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are found in the forests on the island of Trinidad as well as Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela. They sleep during the day in the upper canopy of trees, but they can sometimes be found resting on lower limbs and in hollow tree trunks. They have shorter, thicker quills that are lighter in color than the porcupines found in North America.

They are solitary, nocturnal vegetarian rodents that use their tails for grasping and hanging. Their tails have no spines, but the upper side near the end has a callus pad.

They Prehensile-tailed porcupines, which are very active at night, are known to be tough. They rattle the quills as a warning to predators, and they elude predators by stamping their hind feet and biting. They also sit on their haunches, shake their quills and emit deep growls and high-pitched cries.

They are not endangered, but habitat loss due to deforestation is one of the largest threats to this specialized tree-dwelling species.

Priscilla will be housed in the Islands exhibit near the Forest Bird Trail.

Prehensile-tailed porcupine fun facts

• Porcupines that become alarmed do not shoot their quills. They respond to the stimulus by raising them up similar to the way people respond to the weather by getting goose bumps. The quills of the porcupine are barbed and because they fall out easily when they are raised, it is very difficult for any animal to touch them without getting one embedded in its skin.

• Prehensile-tailed porcupines are nocturnal animals that have long whiskers on their face and feet that help them feel their way around at night.

• Prehensile-tailed porcupines are well-adapted for their life in the treetops. They have a strong tail that is used for grasping branches, and large feet with bare soles (like callused pads) that aid in tree climbing.

• Newborn prehensile-tailed porcupines have red hair and soft spines that will later harden to become stiff quills. Babies climb within days after their birth.

 

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.

Photo by Kara Bussabarger

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