Would it quill me if I try to go near it? Since you talked about North American porcupines, I am guessing you are in North America. I never thought too much about porcupines until an injured young porcupine showed up in my yard. One after another said they would not do it. If kept outdoors, you are going to need well ventilated structures that protect them from sun, wind and temperature extremes. Yesterday a friend and I were on a pleasure drive and came up on a very large dead porcupine on the road. In captivity, provide your pet with mainly fruits and veggies, with a rodent pellet supplement. See if you can find a vet near you that knows about porcupine’s health issues. It can end up getting killed because it may not be used to using the quills for defensive purpose when it needs to. Generally, pets that require a large enclosure and outside-of-cage time like parrots need a space more extensive than a small apartment for free-flying. He was a chatterbox it was so cute. There are definitely more cons in keeping porcupines then pros. TY so much for this article! They might take a bite of a food and if they don’t like it, move on to the next one, if more options are available. If you are in North America, your best chances of having a porcupine is to adopt one. A Ponoka veterinarian is warning pet owners about porcupine encounters, after seeing a spike in treating quilled-up dogs in recent weeks. I hope this helps. Another thing to keep in mind is to never let them be alarmed. Slightly steamed veggies like broccoli, squashes, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach and pumpkin works wonders as well. We raise African Crested and North American porcupines. It disappeared gone no where. I happened to look in the field next to the carcass and saw a young porcupine. "North American porcupines all vocalize but Teddy is more talkative than most," she said. If he is eating milk and soaked bread, that is good news. Outward Hound Hedgehogz Squeaky Dog Toy – Cuddly Soft Toy for Dogs - Durable Plush Fluffy Toy for Awesome Pets. This porcupine is also an excellent climber and spends the majority of its time in the trees. Your pet fish should outlast the average wild puffer, having the advantage of plentiful appropriate food, protection from predators, and treatment for parasites and diseases. It’s large enough to have some quills, but is just sitting under a fallen (small) tree. Unless it is a rare case where you have raised them from small and they really get attached to you. Porcupines Become a Nuisance to Pet Owners in WVa By Associated Press , Wire Service Content Dec. 12, 2020 By Associated Press , Wire Service Content Dec. 12, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. From shop BonBonGliders. Palawan porcupines have recently been introduced into the American pet trade and are less common than the others, such as the African crested. He was super sweet. And then of course, they have quills which can be very dangerous. Check out our small porcupine selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. You might think about wanting to pullout the quill by yourself. Another porcupine is probably a baby from another parents as porcupines tend to normally have one litter at a time. Porcupines are nocturnal rodents. Having said all that, you can keep a porcupine without getting hurt at all. It sounds like getting a porcupine at a younger age is better. Some people also keep African crested porcupines (Hystrix cristata) as pets. Teddy has legions of devoted fans. Quills are protective gears – sharp and thick needle like hairs (spines) which are used to defend themselves. To those who have pirated it and put their name on it, STOP! Amazon's Choice for porcupine dog toy. The disadvantage your fish will have is a small living area, even in the largest of tanks but your careful upkeep and attention to water quality can offset that stress. Quirks & Quills! Most likely they want to be left alone and are not really affectionate. Line the enclosure with straw or wood shavings, as it will need to be cleaned every day. Even people are prone to get attacked, if the porcupines feel threatened. I looked everywhere. In some states like New York and Utah, you can keep them legally. Hind foot is 3 – 3.6 inches (7.5 – 9.1 cm) long. What kind of food do you feed your baby porcupine? Baby porcupines tend to stay with their mom or dad for up to 12 months. They have more of a musk rat appearance. Length of the tail ranges from 5.7 – 12 inches (14.5 – 30 cm). The North American porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, is a large rodent that is common in Utah. In the wild, their habitat ranges from the grasslands, shrub lands, mountains, forests and even deserts. What do baby porcupine puffer fish eat? Apples are a favorite of this animal, as well as yellow pumpkins and corn on the cob. The barbs that run along the tip of the quill shaft facilitate this easy attachment, also assisting the quill to move up the skin surface and puncture vital internal organs. They are nocturnal but can also be active during days. There are 29 species of porcupines and for various reasons not all of them can be kept as pets. Please leave a comment below. There is an additional fee of $10 per night/pet/cabin or $15 per night/pet/lodge. They like to be petted as well. Porcupines do need their teeth in order to survive. Shop Pet Supplies © 2020 ilovepets.co | All Pets, All The Time All Rights Reserved. It is not easy to take the quills out and without anesthetics it is going to hurt really bad. Dogs and cats are curious in nature and might get hit by the quills due to their inquisitiveness. Baby porcupines are born with soft quills. The one that is probably most commonly kept as pets is the largest species, the North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum). Beef bones cut in small chunks can also be used. North American are impossible to house train but the African Crested are very clean animals, pokey has his same place he uses all the time in the laundry room on paper. What if later on you think keeping porcupine is not cool anymore? However, I don’t think milk and bread alone is sufficient. We also have Buttercup in the house, she’s about 6 months old. Nope alls health and well. When quilled in softer parts of the body particularly the eyes, throat and mouth, it can turn out to be deadly. First he started talking to me “all the time”. I don’t know how it happened since he lives outside under one of my sheds. Chewies can be something non toxic like birch or willow branch. Baby porcupine pufferfish are usually about 1-2 inches long and grow very fast. Buttercup the North American is spoiled also she jabbers at me till I pick her up. are very likely to be chewed on by porcupines because of the salt present in human sweat. They are one of the few predators of porcupines. Do you have any advice? Porcupines have craving for salt since their natural diet is low in sodium. Male and females are pretty much the same size. ... KONG Safestix Fetch & Tug Dog Toy - Red - Small. I always think that a Porcupine is too dangerous but after reading your article, I like to have one as my pet. Hence, it is best to keep them separate from other pets, unless there is a rare occurrence where they get along together. If you think the porcupine is the right pet for you, be sure to check with your city’s bylaws to ensure it is legal to own one. Pet Food Recall – True Raw Choice Dehydrated Natural Pet Treats, 14 animals that are surprisingly legal to own as pets in the US – News Report. If you don’t want your porcupine to chew on these, spray them with capsaicin based ‘hot sauce’ repellent. Well, they are equipped with antibiotics in their skin so they don’t have to worry about the quills like other animals do. North American ones are also noted to be really good swimmers because the hollow quills helps them stay afloat in water. Along with fruits and veggies you can also give them monkey chow and / or rodent chow. Like a small dog, Teddy lets his keepers tickle his belly and enjoys being chased around. For majority of other porcupines, breeding occurs in fall, early winter. I have a large wild porcupine that visits my porch in the Spring & Fall & I needed to know what food to leave out for him. The quill has overlapping barbs (up to 800) on each tip. The front feet are equipped with four “fingers” on the front feet and five on the hind feet. Here is Teddy making a fuss while eating corn in a cob: You can also know more about Teddy in his social media pages: Before we delve into details about porcupine pet care, let us take a quick look at the pros and cons of keeping pet porcupines. 4.8 out of 5 stars 67. Nidhi, Is this article helpful? I would suggest giving it bananas. I have a baby African crested porcupine about 2 months old and she has had diarrhea for a few weeks. However make sure that they are not ingesting too much salt. Check out these fun porcupine facts! Though, it may very likely depend on what continent you are at. Porcupines (Latin for “quill pig”) are large rodents, second in size only to beavers in North America. Want to learn more about this exotic pet? African crested porcupines are originally from the African continent so they might not be genetically protected from the bacteria found where you stay at. Porcupines love to snack on fruits with high fibers and glucose content like apples. Porcupines are considered exotic pets because they are wild animals and not typically kept as pets. They have a chunky, stocky body. Right now we have an albino Crested male , he has been in the house for almost a year. Keep your pet away from places that you know porcupines frequent, especially if you suspect there might be a den. But if you make a connection with a porcupine by learning about it and spend time with it could turn out to be very rewarding in the long run. California is one such state where you can’t keep them as pets. They look bigger and bushy when they do this. Fishers are small mammals - typically 8 or 9 pounds - that are members of the weasel family. Their unique features have generated great interests from some humans but a majority of us wouldn’t be looking to keep porcupines as pets. During winter seasons some species of porcupines also depend on barks and conifer needles. To be on the safe side, find your country, state or county/province/district laws regarding keeping exotic wildlife beforehand. Except for the Crested and the North American, all other species are from sub-tropical or tropical climate. If you think this animal is the right one for you, read on for some important tips on keeping the porcupine as a pet. And always be careful when a person or animal is around a porcupine to make sure they don’t get agitated. If you cannot safely remove them from your dog because they are too agitated then you definitely need to go to the vet. Check out that video here: Snickers, later renamed as Stinkers (take a guess why), is a male porcupine who lives at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage, Alaska. That porcupine had so much to talk about, it would sit there everyday and snuggle up against my back or legs as I sat on the ground. Here are some of the things you can do to not get struck by the quills: Be extremely careful introducing an adult porcupine if you already have a pet dog or a cat. When they feel threatened, they will warn you first by showing their quills; flaring them all along the body including the tail. You can also use beef bones (like those for a dog), which is also a good source of calcium. Many dogs will be treated for porcupine quills more than one time. Their previous owner did not give any information on how to care for them. Sprinkle salt in their food or you can provide them with a block of mineral salt. Do not totally surprise them either. Cool Facts And Characteristics Of Porcupines. I am writing from India…Was hoping if you could give me basic guidance on how to rescue an injured crested porcupine (an endangered species) near my home which is breathing shallow and has blood oozing from it’s nose… I think it’s been hit by some vehicle. 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