Roadkill Of A Large North American Porcupine Royalty-Free Stock Photography

Uncommon to see roadkill of porcupines in our area of NYS. This was near a large lily pond. The North American porcupine or Erethizon dorsatum, is the second-largest NYS rodent after beavers. Porcupines can weigh up to 35 pounds. Along with hair, their bodies sport up to 30,000 barbed quills, each 1-4 inches long. Shy and nocturnal creatures, porcupines don’t hibernate. Herbivores, porcupines eat needles and bark from evergreen trees in winter and berries, seeds, grasses and leaves during warmer months. They’re especially fond of water lilies and swim into ponds to munch on them.