Porcupine Quills Reveal Their Prickly Secrets - Science | AAAS
2012年12月10日 · To pierce your skin, a porcupine quill needs only about half the force of a hypodermic needle, according to a new study. The work, which also explains why the quills are so hard to remove, could improve the design of a variety of medical instruments, from devices that poke us to those that help keep wounds shut.
Porcupine - Wikipedia
Porcupines' quills, or spines, take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin, [16] and embedded in the skin musculature. Old World porcupines have quills embedded in clusters, whereas in New World porcupines, single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur, and hair.
The prickly truth behind a porcupine's quills
2022年7月27日 · Quills are loosely held by a porcupine's skin, and so if another creature comes into contact with a porcupine, quills detach easily from the porcupine. Not so for the victim though. Quills...
The Truth About Porcupine Projectiles - Mass Audubon
2023年10月18日 · Quills are actually stiff, hollow hairs with microscopic, backward-facing barbs at the tip (kind of like tiny fish hooks), so when they come into contact with flesh—human or animal—they get stuck and pull free from the porcupine’s skin.
North American porcupine - Smithsonian's National Zoo
Porcupines are native to the forests of North America and instantly recognizable by their coats of nearly 30,000 quills. While these hollow quills can't be shot, they are loosely attached and will dislodge in the skin of predators. Their fur ranges in color from brownish-yellow to black, and they sport white highlights in their quills.
Curious About Quills - Smithsonian's National Zoo
2019年11月8日 · We’re celebrating the newest member of the Small Mammal House, a baby prehensile tailed porcupine, by taking a closer look at one of the species' defining characteristics—quills! At birth, a porcupette’s quills are soft, …
More Than Sharp: The Science of Porcupine Quills - Popular Mechanics
2012年12月10日 · New research shows that the sharp quills of the North American porcupine have tips that are covered in backward-facing barbs that make them much tougher to remove.
A prickly personality: Porcupine quills are a wonder of defensive ...
In porcupines, the muscles push the quills—which are actually hollow, specialized hairs—up and forward to create a thorny, protective crest.
Porcupines’ Quills: The Sharp End of Nature’s Design
Porcupine quills are long, slender, and pointed structures that grow out of the porcupine’s skin. They are made up of a tough, fibrous protein called keratin, which is also found in human hair and nails. The quills are hollow, with a sharp, barbed tip that makes them difficult to remove once they are embedded in an animal’s skin.
Porcupine | Size, Diet, & Facts | Britannica
2024年10月7日 · porcupine, any of several species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn. All have short stocky legs, but their tails range from short to long, some being prehensile. The quills, or spines, take various forms depending on the species, but all are modified hairs embedded in skin musculature.