Statement B is false!!
Reasoning:
Quills are unique, highly specific and specialized hairs. They are mostly white in colour and have extremely sharp points. But unlike human hair, the quills are only loosely attached at the root. Quills cannot be 'thrown' as many people believe, but it takes only the pressure of the touch for a quill to become unattached and lodged into the curious inspector. Take a moment to think about how absurd this myth really is.... can you kids throw your hair like a dart or an arrow? So how did this myth evolve? Well... even though the porcupine cannot throw their quills they are able to move the quills up and down. The quills are raised when the porcupine is threatened or alarmed. When all the quills are raised some think that they look like a mammalian cactus. To make this idea easier to understand you can think of this hair movement similar to the fashion as when a dog's guard hairds go up along the ridge of his spine when he/she is upset. Now even though porcupines cannot throw their quills they do have the most amazing and impressive tails which are quick to lash around if something is threatening them.
Cool Stuff to know about porcupines!
- Porcupines are sodium hungry creatures (it's like candy to them!) which is why they cannot resist the salt we put on the roads in the winter. This often gets them into trouble as motorists do not see them until it is too late.
- Adult porcupines weigh between 15 and 20 lbs, however some healthy males will reach masses up to 30 lbs.
- The main predators of porcupines are humans and fishers. (NOTE: A fisher is a fur-bearing mammal similar to a marten or a wolverine. Their fur is mostly dark brown almost black in colour with white tips.)
- Porcupine quills are NOT filled with air (another false myth about porcupines). This means that when removing quills from an object or animal they are lodged into, DO NOT CUT OFF THE ENDS!! This only makes it harder to remove the quill, as there is less of the quill end to hold onto.
- Porcupines stay active all winter long and do not hibernate.
- Porcupines are excellent tree climbers!
- Like Koala Bears in Australia, a porcupine's natural diet includes tree bark, which often has sedative chemicals in it that keep our porcupine friends very mellow!
- NEVER FORGET that this animal who is often misunderstood is an important part of the forest ecosystem. Remember, porcupines want to keep out of your way so please respect their personal space and allow them to continue on their way!!
