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Explore our latest coverage of environmental issues, climate change and more.

Outdoor Radio: Peering Into A Porcupine Den

Porcupines can have as many as 30,000 quills on their bodies, but contrary to the popular myth, they do not 'shoot' them at enemies.  They feast on hemlock branches and are preyed upon by fishers.

Biologists Kent McFarland, Sara Zahendra and Steve Faccio ventured into the woods on a blustery day to examine a porcupine den that was big enough for a human to fit in - but not someplace you'd want to venture!

Here's more information about porcupines, also knows as the quill pig.

Outdoor Radio is produced in collaboration with the Vermont Center For Ecostudies and is made possible by the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.

Chris was Vermont Public Radio Audio Engineer for more than 20 years. In addition to his work for VPR, he has supervised the sound for television documentaries for the Discovery Channel, Turner Broadcast, and the Arts and Entertainment Network. Chris retired in December, 2020.
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