Posted in West Virginia
August 23, 2020
More And More Porcupines Are Being Spotted Throughout West Virginia And Here’s What You Should Know
Have you ever seen a porcupine? In the wild? In West Virginia? The answer to all three of those questions is “Yes!” for more people than ever before, according to a recent article in the WV Explorer.
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These rodents are native to Appalachia, but their home habitat has traditionally been farther north, in the Allegheny region of Pennsylvania. But they began to migrate down into the northern areas of West Virginia in the late 20th century, and they have continued to spread throughout the state since then.

Adult male porcupines weigh, on average, around 23 pounds! Grown females are slightly smaller, averaging about 15 pounds.

Interestingly, porcupines are the only North American animal with antibiotics in their skin, so that if they fall out of a tree (which happens quite often as they reach for tender buds on the ends of thin branches) and impale themselves on their own quills, the wound heals up without infection.

(If this happens to your poor puppy, get him to the vet!)

They are shy, solitary creatures that like to hide during the day and do most of their roaming after dark.

So, have YOU ever seen a porcupine, in the wild, in West Virginia? Let us know!
And if nature is your thing and you like keeping up on the latest West Virginia observations, don’t miss the newly discovered fungus that’s infecting our cicadas…
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