Prehensile-tailed porcupine

What has a bulbous whiskered nose, two dark round eyes and is covered in thick short quills? A Prehensile-tailed porcupine! They are native to South America and are 1 of 12 species of New World Porcupines! They have quills that normally lay flat against their body but will raise them when they feel threated. Their bodies are 12 to 14 inches long and their tails are almost as long as their body adding another 13 to 19 inches! This species happens to be excellent climbers and spends most of their time in trees. Their name comes from having a prehensile tail which means they can use their tail to grasp and hold on to objects or in this case tree branches! You can find our female porcupine in the Nocturnal Gallery in the Rainforest Pyramid at Moody Gardens!