Porcupines…they just want to cuddle. Nope. We misread the situation!!!! Porcupines are the third largest rodents in the world, and the second largest in North America. That's right behind the second-place beaver, and the first-place capybara. Not bad. Get to the point! Okay, okay. A porcupine has approximately 30,000 quills on its body. Each quill has a topical antibiotic, so a porcupine attack will not necessarily lead to an infection. For the porcupine, this is another defense mechanism to prevent accidental self-quilling. Awkward. Pew, pew, pew! They just shot out! Not quite. Porcupines can’t throw their quills. When a porcupine feels threatened, it tenses up and attacks predators with the swat of its tail, embedding quills into their skin. Only on occasion will loose quills fall out before it strikes, creating the illusion that they're being shot out. NPS Video: Lookin’ porcu-fine! A porcupine approaches and tenses up with quills flared at @katmainpp #porcupine #outdoors #...