8/19/2005: Baby porcupines [updated: hedgehogs]

Undertoad • Aug 19, 2005 8:51 am
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Happy Friday - this shot of baby porcupines comes with no further information, but it's similar to the shot of baby pandas from a few weeks ago and I just couldn't resist it.

For the sake of the mom, it amazes me that they come out this way :eek:
Ubergeek • Aug 19, 2005 9:18 am
OUCH!!! Now that would make a kidney stone feel like a pleasent experience. :eek3:

However I think I remember reading somewhere that their spines are soft when they are born, and then within a few hours they harden and then become nasty. All the spins really are is a modified form of hair.

Amazing the adaptations nature comes up with.
Queen of the Ryche • Aug 19, 2005 9:38 am
Tribal Peirced Tattooed Guy: "Now that's a nice pair of earrings......"
Neurotica • Aug 19, 2005 11:38 am
A part of me is laughing at myself for thinking they are cute. But, I can't resist miniature stuff!
Trilby • Aug 19, 2005 11:55 am
They are so ugly that they're cute! Of course, this just makes me think of the IotD doggie who got spiked. I wonder how he's doing...
Elspode • Aug 19, 2005 3:47 pm
What a bunch of little pricks! :lol:
BigV • Aug 19, 2005 3:49 pm
:lol2:
Bullitt • Aug 19, 2005 3:56 pm
I don't know why, but those lil guys remind me of jalapeno poppers. They may be small, but they can still mess you up.
glatt • Aug 19, 2005 4:27 pm
Elspode wrote:
What a bunch of little pricks! :lol:


Reminds me of a joke I heard a long time ago.

Q: What's the difference between Porsches and porcupines?

A: With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.
xoxoxoBruce • Aug 19, 2005 5:36 pm
Nursing must be interesting for both parties. :mg:
gerstle • Aug 19, 2005 7:05 pm
the camera angle makes it look like that person has a ridiculously large and strong thumb at the base. Hm...

What do you call that part of your hand?
Clodfobble • Aug 19, 2005 8:45 pm
We called it "the drumstick" in orchestra (it was important in learning vibrato.)
richlevy • Aug 19, 2005 8:58 pm
They may be cute, but they remind me of these guys.
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tulzscha • Aug 20, 2005 1:20 pm
Those are baby hedgehogs, not porcupines.
Trilby • Aug 20, 2005 1:29 pm
tulzscha wrote:
Those are baby hedgehogs, not porcupines.


How the heck can you tell?

Oh, and hello. Welcome aboard!
xoxoxoBruce • Aug 20, 2005 1:37 pm
Well, the hedgehogs outta the bag. :blush:
John • Aug 20, 2005 2:15 pm
The actual original picture is available here:

http://hedgehogclub.com/gallery.html
http://hedgehogclub.com/gallery/photo3.html
Undertoad • Aug 20, 2005 2:32 pm
Thanks John!
richlevy • Aug 20, 2005 3:38 pm
Wow, TRIBBLES! :D
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tulzscha • Aug 20, 2005 4:01 pm
Brianna wrote:
How the heck can you tell?


My roomate in college had a baby hedgehog, it started out looking a lot like that.
RQuinn • Aug 21, 2005 3:19 am
For anyone wondering what a baby porcupine really looks like, there's pictures and information about one born earlier this year at

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/SmallMammals/babyporcupine.cfm

If you Google for 'baby porcupine' you'll see just how common it is for people to mistake hedgehogs as young porcupines. Poor hedgehogs get no recognition.
capnhowdy • Aug 21, 2005 11:16 am
(rap beat in background)...."can't touch this"..........

I don't think we have those down here. No room for them with all the illegals we have.......
wolf • Aug 21, 2005 3:21 pm
richlevy wrote:
Wow, TRIBBLES! :D


Thank goodness, it wasn't just me that thought that ...
xoxoxoBruce • Aug 21, 2005 3:28 pm
Damn, I never heard of a Prehensile-tailed Porcupine. :mg:
Katkeeper • Aug 21, 2005 5:41 pm
I think the baby pocupine is really cute, even though I have a fondness for hedgehogs. From reading Alice in Wonderland, and wondering about these animals that were used in croquet games, and then hearing stories aobut them when living in England.

The means of determining the sex of the baby was amusing.
Leah • Aug 21, 2005 7:24 pm
Wow how cute those two are. I hope these little guys aren't born with those prickles. How uncomfortable would that be giving birth to those? Be like passing razor blades. Ouch. :eek: :eek2:
Wombat • Aug 21, 2005 7:58 pm
gerstle wrote:
the camera angle makes it look like that person has a ridiculously large and strong thumb at the base. Hm...

What do you call that part of your hand?

It's called the thenar eminence. Useless fact #362.
xoxoxoBruce • Aug 21, 2005 8:40 pm
That sounds like a position at the Vatican, Wombat. :biggrin:
wolf • Aug 21, 2005 8:55 pm
Or from the Kama Sutra.

Isn't that the one after "Bee Taking Honey from the Flower"?
Bitman • Aug 22, 2005 11:51 am
Oddly, Boing Boing has a similar picture with the same mistake.