Mammalian spines have evolved from modified hairs, made of a fibrous protein called keratin. Technically, a distinction is sometimes made between spines and quills, but in general usage, the two terms ...

You’d think that porcupines climbing trees would be visible and therefore well-studied. Roughly the size of housecats with ...

The thin-spined porcupine, also known as the bristle-spined rat, is a truly distinct animal: a sort of cross between New World porcupines and spiny rats with genetic research showing it is slightly ...

Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more. The porcupine is best known for leaving quills in the flesh of its predators, be they wolves, ...