This odorous concoction attracts males in the area like a putrid perfume. “How do porcupines mate?” the old joke goes, with the answer being “very, very carefully”. To. Very cautiously. After reading this article, I am going to make it my life Goal to stop animal rape. With a back full of sharp quills just how do exactly porcupine sex work? That answer is “correct, but not very enlightening,” says Roze, a professor emeritus of biology at New York’s Queens College. In my expireance with porkupines here in the forests of n.w.Pennsylivaina, These little buggers love to eat alunimum.Not just chew it,say to sharpen their teeth,but actually injest aluminun.I have seen most obviously on aluminum road signs.When the snow gets deep enough for them to reach a sign,or if one is posted on something that they can hold onto(tree,post)they will gnaw away at that sign untill there is nothing left but the small remaining piece of sign behind the bolts that hold it onto the gate or post. They can expect a life span of about 20 years. Very carefully. Mating occurs in November or December. Porcupines are arboreal creatures, and in the Nevada region, they live and mate in thick riparian vegetation in which it is impossible for researchers to move quietly. Surely you mean long? Local farmers stated they had several years of unusable crops due to porcupines, and local graveyards complained of numerous graves that were burrowed into and used as dens for the creatures. If all is successful, approximately 112-210 days later (depending on the species) a little porcupine baby is born. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2020/08/how-porcupines-mate-without-hurting-each-other.html, read more about the names for baby animals. Here’s how. But look at that face. And don’t worry that the porcupine will be left defenseless by releasing too many quills. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email. how the porcupines do they reproduce? How do Porcupines mate? Answer Save. Females will mate several times with the male of their choice until he becomes sexually exhausted. … Once erect, the quills can deeply penetrate the skin and the tightened muscles make it easier to detach the quill. Porcupine quills are a good luck charm in many parts of Africa and the hollow portions have been used as musical rattles or containers for gold dust. This mating ritual is not only strange, but also is infrequent. Lion Shows Tourists Why You Must Stay Inside Your Car - Latest Wildlife Sightings - Duration: 1:11. So how do porcupines mate? Except for mamas raising babies—which are known adorably as porcupettes—porcupines are mostly solitary creatures. He then becomes a urine cannon, squirting high-pressure jets of urine at the female. Asked by Wiki User. They also tend to have a tough time of it just to get to mate, generally having to chase off other male porcupines to win the right to mate with the female. Porcupines mate in a very bizarre way. Don’t think all parts of Africa are in love with this strange rodent though. Female porcupines are receptive to sexual advances for only about 8-12 hours per year, much like my ex-wife. These hairs are coated with a thick layer of keratin (similar to fingernails) with several small layers of barbs at the tip. So male porcupines are completely at the mercy of the female when it comes to mating. Prickly porcupines mate without hurting each other. The female porcupine takes the mating initiative. Favourite answer. How do porcupines mate? The porcupine sniffs this out and will chew relentlessly at any wooden wall, floor, roof, or structure made from it. In her chosen tree, the female signals she’s about ready to breed by secreting an odoriferous substance. There are 29 species of porcupine, but you are probably curious about the North American porcupine Erethizon dorsatum, which is found in Canada, Alaska, and much of the northern and western United States. How do porcupines mate? 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Please enter your email address. All she has to do to deter a potential rapist is to swipe his mating-ready exposed sensitive region with her tail, problem solved. His penis springs erect. The spines of both animals were relaxed and lay flat. Quills could make mounting the female a prickly proposition. How do Porcupines Mate? They do however take full advantage of that time. how do porcupines mate ? You will receive a link and will create a new password via email. They are dependent on their mother’s milk for about 8 weeks and then begin to eat normally. Baby porcupines are born with their eyes open and very well developed. They are considered pests primarily for this very reason, gnawing on and destroying anything that has salt on or in it. Only the beaver and capybara are larger in the rodent kingdom. Porcupines are in constant need of salt and will stop at nothing to get at it. © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, © 2015- A quick … Answer. Look at that painfully adorable face! Do their spines get in the way? The longest quills are on the butt, and the smallest are on the cheeks. yet there are never any shards of the chewed sign left on the ground underneath the sing.Therefir they must be consumming the sign. They grow back within a month or two. kezza. But when she’s ready, the female curves her tail over her spiky back so her tail’s quill-free underside is facing up, Roze says. Porcupines can be divided into two broad groups: Old World and New World. This process often results in them getting stuck with quills during the fighting, even if they win. When attacked by a predator, a porcupine becomes stressed and the muscles around the connective tissue tighten and cause the quills to become erect. In broad-strokes, "safety" is a complex sum of several needs - emotional security, material and physical security, urge for personal freedom vs. urge to merge. The fact is, they do the same thing as the rest of us — they dive in eagerly, hope for the best, and try not to get hurt too much.” The second largest rodent in… Should the rain from the main vein be acceptable, she will expose her non-quilled underbelly and allow the male to copulate for 2-5 minutes. They will first begin to shake their quills in a visible pattern and send out an unpleasant odor. Young and fit, Olympian owes life to early cancer screening The species’ annual mating season is in early fall. The one not knocked out wins mating rights—but the seduction’s not done. This female North American porcupine was photographed at the Great Plains Zoo, Sioux Falls, South Dakota. by Wildlife TV on July 7, 2013. If you still won’t back off, they will begin to stamp their feet and will also growl and clack their teeth. Specifically, research has shown that the tightened muscles make it 40% easier to detach the quill then if the connective tissue was loose. Should this golden shower not be up to the female’s standards (she doesn’t like the pheromones), she will shake off the urine and find herself another mate. Very carefully, I should think! How do porcupines mate? Very carefully, the saying goes. As an observer of American porcupines for over 30 years, Uldis Roze no longer knows how many times he has heard this joke. Despite it's cute appearance, it is in fact a rodent. "The male approaches on his hind legs and tail, grunting in a low tone. Who doesn't love being #1? Where I live, south of Cape Town, South Africa, our town is in the middle of a nature reserve and it’s not uncommon for me to get up early, while it’s still dark – and find a porcupine or two ambling along our street. Lady porcupines, Way. 0 0 1. There are about 30,000 of them on any one porcupine. In her chosen tree, the female signals she’s about ready to breed by secreting an odoriferous substance. This is "Porcupines mating" by jason wren on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. How do porcupines make love? Actually they can extend their 30,000 quills or leave them flat against their body, so it's not as big of a concern as we may think. Related Questions. The species’ annual mating season is in early fall. Ever the innovative people, some Kenyans saw this opportunity to make lemonade from lemons and created a new delicacy with the vermin. They range from 25-36 inches long and weigh between 12-35 pounds. North American porcupines in a tree prior to mating. I have searched but it seems there is no such info. Jean Francois Tremblay, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Interestingly, unlike many female animals that are frequently raped (such as with ducks where an estimated 1 in 3 mating acts is rape), the female porcupine cannot be raped. You would probably think the answer is very carefully, but you would probably be wrong.The answer is more improbable and much more bizarre than that. How do porcupines reproduce? available on the net. So, how do porcupines mate? They occupy every part of the body except the face, inner parts of the limbs and the stomach. 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As an observer of the North American porcupine for more than 30 years, Uldis Roze has no idea how many times he has heard this joke. carefully!!!!! It is kinky indeed. What is their eliminative behavior (Like how do they excrete out urine and defecate). How do porcupines mate?” My answer: “I realize that I’m supposed to give the stock answer of ‘very carefully,’ but that’s not really true. How Do Porcupines Mate? 13 Answers. The old joke of "How do two porcupines have sex" with the punchline of "carefully" is true. Porcupines mate in a very bizarre way. I also would love to see this urination process. Actually, porcupines mate as do other mammals without quills. During this time, female porcupines climb up into trees and secrete a thick mucus that mixes with their urine. Please enter your email address. Males drawn by the smell fight each other in the tree branches and on the ground below her. Be careful not to break off any part of it, but if you do, don’t worry, quill tips are coated with antibiotic fatty acids that help in healing. To induce estrus in the female, the male squirts her with urine, a few drops at a time. They first begin their ludicrous lovemaking with some nose rubbing. I really need this information for my Ethology open book exam. The male porcupine and female porcupine battle. Female North American porcupines, on the other hand, are only fertile once a year for a period of eight to 12 hours (little is known about the mating behaviors of … This mating typically occurs in late summer or early fall. In 2005, there was such an infestation that the Kenyan people pleaded with the government to control the problem. Your email address will not be published. The most common item destroyed by these rodents is plywood. The male porcupine aims to impress the female by whining the victor and giving her signal to lower her quills and get ready to mate by moving her tail towards her side. Go… You have shown that some women can stand up to these males and put them in their place. ...Very carefully. Approximately seven months later, the female will give birth—in this species, usually a single offspring. The answer is “correct, if not rewarding,” said Roze, professor emeritus of biology at … Porcupines are the third largest rodent on earth. Nice article. Be the first to answer! Answer: Very Carefully {VIDEO} I cannot be the only one who has ever wondered this. How do porcupines make love? Porcupines mate in a very bizarre way. Known as a porcupette (read more about the names for baby animals), the baby is born with all its quills but also wrapped in the amniotic sac that smooths the little one’s arrival. This isn’t done in a normal bladder expelling fashion, though. This will allow the barb to penetrate deeper once embedded. ... males required a period of close association with the females before they would mate with them. This was just heart breaking. The male then can rest his paws on that surface while doing the deed. The arms around me must allow me to feel safe -- safe to be me -- before they can make me feel anything else. Porcupines are desirable too; they get a mate for life and get to mate every single day! This includes even small amounts of salt, like anything that salty human hands have touched, such as the handles of tools, discarded garbage, or food wrappers. When relaxed, this tissue is soft and only loosely holds the quill in place. Relevance. Lost your password? You got to imagine it would be a fairly dangerous endeavor. Obviously a leopard would be amazing (what’s not to like about being the sexiest animal … Good stuff to know, tho! 1 decade ago. Typically, the two then descend the tree to breed. Register to join beta. They first begin their ludicrous lovemaking with some nose rubbing. 1 decade ago. Their quills are soft directly after birth (which I’m sure the mother appreciates) but will harden within about an hour. All rights reserved, Photograph by Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photo Ark. While females at the peak of receptivity would accept any male, males required a period of close association with the … But I'm convinced that even with needles down mating for male porcupines must be a very painful experience. One of the most important aspects to life is reproduction; organisms endeavour to reproduce and successfully pass their genes along to the next generation. How do porcupines make love? by Wendy Cooper Australian National University Introduction. I do bet that on a clear nite,you can hear a “porky” poop as he passes thaose sing shards;YOOOUCH! (Spoiler- yes and yes. If the female accepts the nose rubbing and, after the initial nose rubbing test, the female is still keen on the male, the male will then stand on its hind legs and the … Lost your password? Please note that this site uses cookies to personalise content and adverts, to provide social media features, and to analyse web traffic. In fact, this is not an ability they possess (luckily). Be the first to answer this question. There is a thick loop of connective tissue that surrounds the follicle and attaches it to the skin. How Porcupines Mate, the Bizarre Sex Habits of Giraffes (and Much, Much More) June 17, 2019 Daven Hiskey 4 comments. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. How can you read an entire article about porcupines where the word is written 28 (TWENTY-EIGHT) times and proceed to write “porkupines?” That level of incompetence seems deliberate Jesus Christ. In this case, the urine is ejaculated at high pressure, rather than relying on internal bladder pressure. The warning and defensive method of a porcupine is a threefold system. My zoologist roommates give me the unsatisfying explanation that they put their needles down during the act. I don’t think porcupine quills are up to 4 inches thick. How do porcupines mate in spite of their pointy quills? The male made sexual contact from behind the female. Favourite answer. The best way to remove a porcupine quill is to take a pair of common household pliers and pull the quill directly out. Should they make contact, the quills are your Darwin-Award for inattention to warning signs. Kruger Sightings Recommended for you 1 0. the_american00. The curing compound used in plywood production is sodium nitrate. The urine is “propelled at such high velocity,” Roze says, “that even if a male and female are sitting on separate branches in a tree, his urine can reach her.” The male keeps it up—“repeated salvos over many hours,” Roze says—until the female is in the mood. If the female accepts the nose rubbing and, after the initial nose rubbing test, the female is still keen on the male, the male will then stand on its hind legs and the … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A common misconception is that porcupines can “throw” their quills. Evolution has developed an ingenious method for the release of quills. Should you ignore these first two signs, the porcupine will then turn its back to you and charge at you backwards. Today I found out how porcupines have sex….very carefully! Porcupine quills are just specialized hairs ranging from ½ inch to 4 inches long. If the female accepts the nose rubbing and, after the initial nose rubbing test, the female is still keen on the male, the male will then stand on its hind legs and the female allows him to urinate all over her body (kinky). In reality, the mating ritual of the quill-covered Erethizon dorsatum is quite elaborate, protracted, and … damp. In this episode of The Brain Food Show, we start by looking at whether or not male humans can get pregnant and carry a baby to full term naturally. Fortunately for the male porcupine, the female can control the spines and, during mating, pulls them tightly against its … 20 years and lay flat it is in fact, this is `` porcupines ''!, some Kenyans saw this opportunity to make lemonade from lemons and a... Single day https: //www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2020/08/how-porcupines-mate-without-hurting-each-other.html, read more about the names for baby animals a single.... 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