Author's Note:
This is number 32 in the series of my hypothetical 'new boyfriends'.

The creatures I have written about previously are: Penguin, Chimpanzee, Whale, Albatross, Rabbit, Bull, Cat, Dog, Pig, Horse, Grey Parrot, Snake, Polar Bear, Bee, Octopus, Goat, Vampire Bat, Swan, Snail, Elephant, Flamingo, Kangaroo, Rainbow Trout, Dung Beetle, Beaver, Giraffe, Mouse, Sheep, Pigeon, Gnu.

There are more than two dozen porcupine species, and all boast a coat of needle-like quills to give predators a sharp reminder that this animal is no easy meal. Some quills, like those of Africa's crested porcupine, are nearly a foot long.
The Old World porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia and most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They live in wooded areas and can climb trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller.
The porcupine's Latin name means 'quill pig'. There are some possible antibiotic properties within the quills, specifically associated with the free fatty acids coating the quills. The antibiotic properties are believed to aid a porcupine that has suffered from self-injury.
Their quills and guardhairs are used for traditional decorative clothing. For example, their guardhairs are used in the creation of the Native American 'porky roach' headdress. The main quills may be dyed, and then applied in combination with thread to embellish leather accessories such as knife sheaths and leather bags. Lakota women harvested the quills for quillwork by throwing a blanket over a porcupine and retrieving the quills it left stuck in the blanket.
The shape of the quills' barbs helps makes them more effective both for penetrating the skin and remaining in place, thus making it more painful to remove a quill that has pierced the skin.The quills have inspired research for such applications as the design of hypodermic needles.
Porcupines are only occasionally eaten in Western culture, but are very popular in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam. This has contributed to significant declines in their populations.

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