The things that they shoot at you...............
2006-07-27 16:40:41 · 12 answers · asked by Curious George 1 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
how many chucks could a woodcuck cut ...
They shoot? dam b something else shooting at us, where are the cops when you need 'em.
2006-07-27 16:44:55 · answer #1 · answered by Tim 47 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The porcupine's chief defense is its quills, sharp spines distributed across the rodent's back, sides, legs, tail and head. They may be as dense as 150 per square inch, giving one animal as many as 30,000 quills. Contrary to popular belief, porcupines do not shoot out their quills; unfortunate victims approach closely enough to be swatted by the tail or brush against the animal. Like the related ordinary hairs, porcupine quills grow back when they come out.
When threatened, a porcupine will raise its quills. This is the piloerection reflex, the same as the goose bump reflex in humans.
A porcupine can defend itself by hiding its bare face from an attacker and keeping its bare belly to the ground. It may swat its tail at an assailant. The quills are not poisoned, but animals may die from a porcupine encounter if the quills prevent eating. Porcupines often fall on their own quills. Likely as an evolutionary result, the quills possess mild antibiotic properties.
Quills are sharp-pointed, fitted with microscopic barbs, and expand on contact with warm flesh. Muscle contractions in a quill victim work the quill deeper, as much as 2 cm per day unless the quills are removed promptly.
There is a common joke: "Q:How do porcupines mate? A:Very carefully." In reality, however, the male porcupine uses urine to soften the females' quills before mating.
Fishers are known to successfully attack porcupines by biting their faces.
2006-07-27 16:45:08 · answer #2 · answered by jaimestar64cross 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Porcupines have as many as 30,000 quills, but, contrary to popular belief, porcupines don't shoot them. Quills are actually special hairs with barbs at their tips. If an animal (or human) gets too close, the barb embeds into its skin.
2006-07-27 16:53:05 · answer #3 · answered by Joan W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Porcupine quills can be as dense as 150 per square inch, giving some animals up to 30,000 quills on their body
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupine
2006-07-27 16:45:19 · answer #4 · answered by rabies_infected_cattle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Slightly off topic:
Do you know the difference between a Porcupine and a Porsche?
Answer:
The Porcupine has pricks on the outside; the Porsche has the prick inside! :-)
2006-07-27 16:49:08 · answer #5 · answered by Skippy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have a lot of spikes and I didn't know that they can shoot at you so I can't help you with that.
2006-07-27 16:49:57 · answer #6 · answered by Linzinator 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
400 Bagillion
2006-07-27 16:43:41 · answer #7 · answered by Lindsay M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They dont shoot their spines.
The spines are really hardened hairs. So, the amount of spines they have are probably equivalent to the amount of hairs on your head.
2006-07-27 16:46:51 · answer #8 · answered by maxomous 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
r u serious? hold up and let me count.... no y the hell would anyone know that piece of useless info ask something meaning full
2006-07-27 16:45:25 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood?
2006-07-27 16:45:28 · answer #10 · answered by ruthie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋