Winter is a great time to view one of the state’s largest rodents, the porcupine, and northeastern Utah is a great place to do so. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced this week an upcoming event at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to see porcupines in the wild. Porcupines are best known for their long guard hairs and over 300,000 sharp, hollow quills. “These quills are a defense mechanism for the animal — although contrary to popular belief, porcupines cannot shoot their quills from their body,” shares DWR Northeastern Region Conservation Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby. “When attacked by a predator, the porcupine will ‘slap’ its tail toward danger, and the quills are embedded in the flesh of its attacker. The quills are equipped with microscopic barbs that make them very difficult to pull out once they are lodged in. Porcupines also have sharp, barb-like hairs on the underside of their body that help them climb.” The viewing event is taking place on March 1st from 9am to 1pm at the Refuge in Randlett.
