Welcome to Our New Porcupette

The baby weighed 527 grams at birth and grew to 770 grams in just a two-week span. Currently, the baby is weighed daily. Quinn and baby have been doing great and have exclusive bonding time together. (Seamus has been separated from the pair until further notice to support this bonding.)

From day one, the porcupette was very strong and immediately mobile, displaying a healthy curiosity. The baby is now chewing on branches and testing every item it comes across. Quinn is very patient with her baby, giving a lot of attention and always gentle.

The sex of the porcupette is still to be determined, so stay tuned.

Quinn and Seamus are a breeding pair, and the prehensile-tailed porcupine is part of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) at the Zoo.

Visit the nocturnal side of the Small Mammals building to visit Quinn and her new baby!

Fast Facts:

• In their natural range, prehensile-tailed porcupines live in the South American forests and rainforests of Venezuela, Guiana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Trinidad, and some extreme northern sections of Argentina.
• Arboreal animals, they spend most of their time in tree branches.
• Short, thick quills cover their body. The quills typically lay flat but will rise when the porcupine feels threatened, in order to appear larger.