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The porcupine's quills are soft at birth and harden within their first hour of existence.

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Q: Do baby porcupine's quills soft at birth?
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How long until porcupines get there quills?

the porcupine is born with its quills a@#$@#*.


Can porcupines live with out their quills?

they probably come out with the quills there but not sharp or sticking out as to they will not hurt the mothers soft belly, but a time goes by, they harden, sharpen, and sticking out when their mother will leave him soon.


Why are porcupines hunted?

for their sarp quills and soft fur with ice cream flavored feet


Why do baby hedgehogs have soft quills?

So that they can be born without tearing the mother to pieces.


Do porcupines have babies?

They give birth to the young with the spines fully developed, whether it hurts or not, ask a porcupine. The young porcupine's quills are soft at birth but harden within the first half hour after birth. I would imagine that natural child birth does not come without some pain, but the pain for the porcupine is not cause by the quills.


Are hedgehogs soft?

Yes, hedghogs are soft. Porcupines are the prickly ones. Yes, hedghogs are soft. Porcupines are the prickly ones.


How did the Native Americans use porcupines?

Porcupines are edible rodents, although there is little evidence for them forming a regular part of the diet of the more northerly eastern woodlands tribes (porcupines were not found south of Ohio, for example). The Iroquois tribes appear not to have used the quills either, so they seem to have made no use at all of these animals. The quills and guard hairs were highly valued by the many Algonquian tribes for use in decorating clothing and bark containers and for roach hair ornaments. Quillwork was a very lengthy and complex process that involved carefully plucking the quills from the dead animal, selecting quills about 2.5 inches long (or shorter ones for very delicate designs), dyeing the quills with subtle, natural plant dyes in hot water and then drying them. Then they were washed thoroughly in a soapy bath to make them soft and pliable - then they were flattened between the teeth or fingernails. Only then could the dyed quills be used in wrapping, braiding, sewing or weaving on the surface to be decorated - moccasins, weapons, dresses, shirts, leggings and so on.


Is the defensive behavior of a porcupine an adaptation?

Yes. Porcupines will lower their heads and rush at a predator, or curl up protecting the soft underbelly. They cannot as some think, shoot their quills.


How does the porcupine protect himself?

A porcupine's entire body, with the exception of the belly and legs, is covered with sharp quills. The porcupine's quills, which are actually hardened, barbed hairs, are its primary source of protection. Porcupines cannot "throw" their quills as is popularly thought. They can, however, slap their quilled tail with lightning speed in the direction of an attacker. If a predator comes too close, it is likely to get a nose or mouth full of sharp quills that will work deeper and deeper into the flesh, causing a nasty infection and in extreme cases, possible death. A single porcupine may have upwards of 30,000 quills, more than 100 per square inch. Native Americans once used the quills as needles, and as ornaments on clothing. They were also used in the making of Native American warriors' breastplates. Porcupines are amazing climbers. They have been sighted over 60 feet up in the tops of trees, particularly cottonwoods, and these animals are extremely agile. Porcupines are herbivorous, feeding on bark and twigs, and prefer to eat softwoods, such as pine, elm and poplar. These rodents love salt and will seek it out. This craving leads them to eat such things as succulent plants, saddle leather, and the occasional shovel handle. In some areas, the porcupine's love for salt can get it into trouble. They will eat just about anything with a salty taste, including rose bushes, lily pads, garden produce and even car tires. Porcupines have been known to eat gardening equipment, wood siding on homes and yard furniture. Even when feeding only on trees, porcupines can cause problems. They can strip so much bark off the tree that it dies. There are some products that can discourage porcupines from literally eating you out of house and home. Most of these are liquid sprays that taste terrible to the porcupine. Another option for controlling problem porcupines is trapping and relocation. In northern climates, a natural predator of the porcupine, the fisher, is sometimes introduced into an area to control porcupine populations. Fishers are a type of weasel and are about the size of a large house cat. Other predators of the porcupine include the bobcat, and where found, the timber wolf, and wolverine. These animals are quick, and are able to flip the porcupine onto to its back in order to expose it's soft, unprotected belly. In Oklahoma, only the bobcat, and occasionally the coyote, are natural predators of the porcupine. Porcupines mate in the fall and give birth about 112 days later in the spring. They usually have only one offspring, called a porcupette, and twins are rare. The porcupine's quills are soft at birth and harden within their first hour of existence. They can eat solid food in about two weeks. Unlike their stoic parents, porcupettes are quite playful.


Are newborn hedgehog quills soft?

Yes, and flexible.


What does the cervix is soft mean if dilated to a one?

Your baby is moving down the birth canal


Of what functional advantage are the soft spots of the skull during delivery of a baby?

The soft spots allow the skull to be compressed during birth.