porcupine
noun
- heraldic animal
- any of various rodents of the family Hystricidae, of Eurasia and Africa, or the family Erethizontidae, of the Americas, having long, sharp, erectile quills
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpɔː(ɹ)kjʊˌpaɪn/ / /ˈpɔː(ɹ)kiˌpaɪn/ / /ˈpɔː(ɹ)kɪˌpaɪn/
noun
Etymology: From Middle English porke despyne, from Old French porc-espin, from Latin porcus (“pig”) + spinus (“spine”), hence also spine pig. Cognate with Spanish puercoespín, Italian porcospino, Portuguese porco-espinho.
- Any of several rodents of either of the taxonomic families Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) or Erethizontidae (New World porcupines), both from the infraorder Hystricognathi, noted for their sharp spines or quills, which are raised when the animal is attacked or surprised.
“I have no evidence of grizzlies killing porcupines or vice versa. However, occasionally there is contact and sometimes a grizzly is injured or a porcupine killed, but the latter is rare.”
“In particular, porcupines, hyenas, and leopards are known in Africa to transport bones to particular places.”