By: William E. Schlosser, Ph.D.
Date: Oct. 5, 2020
Now, we look to the porcupine. The well-defended rodent who blends the characteristics of its relatives to find home in the Western Interior Woodlands and Shrublands Biome. This rodent is an herbivore, feeding on plant leaves and roots. They find nutrients by breaking away the bark of conifer trees to expose the cambium found below. The nutrient-rich cambium is like candy to the porcupine.
They climb trees to feast, favoring the sweet ponderosa pine tree. It kills the top of the tree’s photosynthetically active vegetation, but what is found below this place on the tree will continue to grow.
Porcupine pictured at Steptoe Butte (Mason Maron, 2020)
