Locate the trap where you have observed the porcupine to travel, eat, dig or hang around. Reproduction: Porcupines court and mate in November and December. Unfortunately we relocated the three we caught 8 miles away. It has black to brownish-yellow fur and strong, short legs. But because they travel over the same trails repeatedly, finding a perfect, un-trampled track is a rare event. Porcupines rely heavily on smell as they are short-sighted. Porcupines of the Old World are burrowers whereas those of the New World climb trees. A porcupine may have as many as 30,000 quills. Most armadillos lead a solitary lifestyle preferring to be alone and only coming together during the breeding season. To pierce your skin, a porcupine quill needs only about half the force of a hypodermic needle, according to a new study. Using vegetative lures, such as the apple and salt trick, will tempt the porcupine by their sense of smell. You also have to be strong to lift a large porcupine, which weigh as much as 30 pounds, by its tail. When porcupines are mating, they tighten their skin and hold their quills flat, so as not to injure each other. Porcupine live traps are quite easy to set up. Distribution - The porcupine occupies most of Canada and all of British Columbia in coniferous forests in the subalpine zone. The quills are hairs with barbed tips on the ends. Porcupines tend to use the same feeding trees repeatedly, which makes their presence quite obvious. Porcupines initially browse on the tops of the trees, eating the young needles and tender bark, before moving to lower branches. Several studies have shown that porcupines focus their winter feeding on hemlock far more than would be expected. This animal is mostly found in coniferous and mixed forested areas in Canada, Alaska and much of the northern and western USA.It's also known as the Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine and is the second-largest rodent in the world. Unfortunately we relocated the three we caught 8 miles away. The adult armadillos come together to breed and may also spend time together courting before mating. How To Trap A Porcupine Porcupines are unique animals that can be found in many parts of the United States, and although they are not the fastest of animals they do have a unique defense mechanism that makes trapping them quite challenging. With the smaller animals, you also have to be careful they don’t curl up and bite you while you hold them. The adult crested porcupine has an average head and body length around 60 to 83 cm (24 to 33 in) long, discounting the tail, and weighs from 13 to 27 kg (29 to 60 lb). Where porcupines are present it’s easy to find these runs in snow. There are 7 ways to get from Mount Isa to Porcupine by plane, car or bus. Both have thousands of needle-sharp quills which are erected and … At birth, the precocious young weighs about 454 g (1 lb), the eyes are open, incisors and some molars fully erupted, and the quills soft but hardening within an hour. The porcupine is a rodent. The female's pregnancy lasts for 202 days. Biology - Mating habits of the porcupine are rather bizarre; the male approaches the female with embraces and nose-rubbing, if receptive, she allows him to spray her with gouts of urine. Mating may occur repeatedly until the female loses interest and climbs back into the tree. Its flat feet and sharp, rounded claws make it well adapted to climbing trees. Habitats/Behaviours. I have read that they can find their way back to your garden from 20 miles away. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. “They do bite,” Coltrane said she soon learned. The North American porcupine has a long gestation period relative to other rodents. After a 205-217 day gestation period, females bear a single youth, rarely two, in a den lined with branches and roots. How far do porcupines travel? Porcupines stick close to the trees. Both have thousands of needle-sharp quills which are erected and rattled as a warning if the animal is attacked. Almost the entire body is covered with bristles which are either dark brown or black and rather coarse. Porcupines are normally shy and solitary creatures (meaning you are unlikely to find one near your house), but in winter they may den in small groups. I have read that they can find their way back to your garden from 20 miles away. Answer (1 of 4): Unsurprisingly, the porcupine that lives in the USA is the North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum). Live traps for porcupines generally run by the dimensions of 11 ft x 12 ft x 30 ft. They are active year-round, but are rarely seen because they are most active at night and prefer to hide high in a tree or in a den during the day.