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SPIKE THE PORCUPINE THE SHARP SIDE OF ME AN AUTOBIOGRAPHYBY EMILY WILSON 1
Let's bust a myth right away: I cannot shoot my quills at you like arrows. If a predator gets too close, I just shake my tail to rattle a warning and block them with my back. 2 The Big Quill Myth
I am covered in about 30,000 sharp quills from my head to my tail. The only places I don't have them are my face, my belly, and the bottoms of my paws. 3 Counting My Quills
The tips of my quills have tiny microscopic hooks, just like little fishhooks. If they stick into a predator, they can be very painful and difficult to remove.4 Tiny Fishhooks
5 My quills are coated with a natural antibiotic grease that helps protect me from infections. That’s lucky because I’m a clumsy climber and sometimes accidentally poke myself! First-Aid Armor
6 Creature of Night While you’re asleep in bed, my day is just beginning. I am nocturnal, which means I sleep during the day and search for food at night.
7 Super Sniffer My eyesight isn’t very good, so the world can look a little blurry. Luckily, my powerful nose helps me sniff out tasty snacks in the dark.
8 Never Ending Teeth One of my favorite foods is tree bark and soft wood. My front teeth never stop growing, so chewing keeps them trimmed and healthy.
Salt Craving I absolutely love salty things! Sometimes I chew on canoe paddles, boots, or tool handles just to taste the salt left behind from human sweat.
9 Tree Climbers vs. Ground Dwellers Since I live in North America, I use my curved claws and rough paws to climb trees. My African porcupine cousins prefer life on the ground and often live in underground burrows.
10When I was a baby, called a porcupette, my quills were soft and flexible. Within a few hours, they hardened into strong armor that helped keep me safe. Soft Baby
11Look, Don’t Touch!Thanks for reading my life story! If you ever spot me resting in a tree, give me a friendly wave—but remember, no hugs!
12 The END