"THAT FEELING WHEN YOU HAVE FOUND THAT ANNOYING ITCH"

North American Porcupine

Am certain we all have had that satisfaction when you finally find that itchy spot and a good scratch can bring such relief.

By managing to catch the porcupine on its side, some of the hidden attributes of this large rodent became apparent. 

1. Check out the pad on the bottom of the back foot.

2. Then there are those amazing claws. Great for ascending & descending trees and excavating bark.

3. My personal favourite - the reveal of the soft fur of the porcupine's stomach. Unfortunately, the only time you usually see this underside is on the roadside when a porcupine has been hit by a car. Fishers, bobcats and coyotes can prey upon porcupine but they know the only way in to a successful hunt is to flip it over. No mean feat as porcupines are well aware of their "Achilles Heel" or in this case "Achilles Stomach" and are ready to defend any takers with that tail full of quills.

But wouldn't you just like to have the opportunity to stroke that furry tummy!