Porcupines express themselves with scent as well as spikes - and unfortunately for sniff-happy dogs, even a snoutful of quills can't keep them away from the aroma!
Welcome to this week's edition of Something Wild. I'm Rosemary Conroy for the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests.
When we got a dog recently, I worried about how it would affect my wildlife viewing opportunities. On one hand, animal tracking has pretty much been reduced to observing the various gait patterns of a black lab. However, dogs do make you aware of how many smells wild animals leave behind - and, of course, just how many squirrels live in your neighborhood.
The other creature that good old Louie boy has reintroduced me to is the porcupine. Pre-pooch, I'd never really understood the animosity that most old-timers have for this prickly rodent. But I'm starting to get it.
To be fair, it's really not the porcupine's fault. It's just trying to protect itself. If there's any blame, it lies more, I think, with the canine's obsession with smell. That's because porcupines express themselves not just with a spiky coat, but also with what one biologist has called "a rich language of secretions." Apparently when they encounter a predator, they try to ward it off with a goat-like odor. I guess porcies don't understand the effect that would have on dogs!
So it's possible that my black lab was simply trying to roll in the porcupine, which is typical when he comes upon something particularly stinky. Whatever the motivation, a snootful of quills does deter him - for a while, anyway - but that porcupine perfume apparently dissolves all memories of the pain that quills (and the subsequent trip to the vet's to remove them) brings about.
So we aren't going for any walks near our local porcupine habitat anymore without a sturdy leash - because it's not going to get better anytime soon. New research has shown that porcupine populations, like those of many wild animals, are often cyclical. And unlucky for Louie dog, our prickly neighbors are only at the beginning of their current cycle!
Something Wild is a joint production of the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, NHPR and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. For Something Wild, I'm Rosemary Conroy.
