Porcupine

Porcupines cannot "shoot" their quills. When threatened, a porcupine turns its back, tucks its head, chatters its teeth, and raises its quills. If a predator gets too close, a strong flick of the tail can drive quills into an attacker. Porcupines are primarily nocturnal and do not hibernate. They are good climbers and regularly climb trees in search of food. The North American porcupine is one of the largest rodents found in North America - second only to the beaver. They eat a variety of plant material, depending on the season. Due to changes in their summer diet, they experience a depletion of sodium within their body. This is the reason porcupines often gnaw on items with salt residue - leftover salt on roadways, ax handles, canoe paddles, plywood, etc. They also gnaw on shed antlers.