THE SOUTH AFRICAN PORCUPINE 



Porcupine find itself overtaken or cut off from its lair, 

 it instantly faces its foe, and seeks to intimidate it 

 by violently stamping its feet and rattling its quills, 

 especially the short hollow ones that constitute its 

 tail, and which make a noise like the rattling of peas 

 in a dry bladder. 



Should this not succeed, and the foe be some 

 carnivorous animal, it wheels round and takes the 

 enemy completely by surprise by rushing in at it 

 backwards ; and should the aggressor not be exceed- 

 ingly alert, it will be impaled by half a score or more 

 of sharp quills. The Porcupine has the power of 

 elevating its armament of quills at will, so that they 

 stand straight out from the body. When on the 

 defensive the quills are raised, and the head drawn 

 in between the fore-legs. It stands thus on the 

 alert, keenly watching every movement of the 

 enemy. Should a favourable opportunity of attack 

 present itself, the Porcupine instantly avails itself 

 of it. The animal has considerable driving power 

 at the back of its quills, although it is quite incapable 

 of actually discharging them to a distance, as is 

 popularly supposed. 



When it makes its charge, the moment it gets 

 within quill length of the enemy, it distends its 

 body, and in this way forces the needle-like points 

 of the quills deep into the flesh of its foe. 



In hunting Porcupines, dogs are frequently killed 

 or severely injured. I have known several instances 

 of them being blinded in both eyes by the quills. 

 179 



