Porcupines – rethizon dorsatum
Biology – Mating habits of the porcupine are rather bizarre; the male approaches the female with embraces and nose-rubbing, if receptive, she allows him to spray her with gouts of urine. When fully soaked copulation occurs and 210 days later one offspring is born, sighted, mobile and covered in hair and quills.
Speaking of conflicted. I saw this nature program on PBS last year where a very hungry winter wolf tried to eat a porcupine. I felt bad for the wolf for being hungry, but didn’t want to see the cute little porcupine get eaten. The wolf ended up with quills stuck around its mouth. The quills have little barbs in them which work there way further in over time.
From lunch boxes to barbed wire, there seems to be a museum for everything
Or perhaps you have a yearning to learn about the history of barbed wire. A trip to La Crosse, Kan., will lead you to a museum dedicated to the prickly fencing, showcasing 3,000 varieties … some dating back to the early 1800s when the “devil’s rope” was invented.
I need to start collecting something and open a museum. Only I’m the opposite of a pack rat and I hate dusting.
inkbluesky 