Habitat. The beaver is the only rodent in North America that is larger than the North American porcupine. Each adult porcupine has a home range of six to 14 acres in size, depending on food availability. Habitat. Once forced to leave West Virginia, the North American porcupine is returning to the Mountain State from populations in Pennsylvania and Maryland. In the Pacific Northwest, these animals are primarily ground dwelling. In the winter, it may eat bark. In general, porcupines live in just about any terrain, including deserts, grasslands, mountains, rainforests and forests. Habitat. The porcupine's most famous feature—the quill—is hollow, 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 centimeters) in length, and lightly attached to the porcupine's skin. It eats leaves, twigs and green plants like skunk cabbage and clover. The Division of Wildlife’s mission is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats for sustainable use and appreciation by all. Habitat of the Porcupine. Found from sea level to treeline, in the forested areas of every county except San Juan and Island. Some New World species are arboreal, which means that they live in the trees. Habitat. It prefers mixed forests. Diet The porcupine is an herbivore. Fireweed grows well along roadsides and the emerging shoots are popular with porcupines. The North American porcupine lives in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. Habitat. Porcupines live in open tundra, deciduous forests, and desert chaparral. It often climbs trees to find food. In the fall mating season porcupines are on the move, and in the spring they are drawn to roadsides because of early, emerging vegetation. Erethizon dorsatum uses a broad variety of habitats. New World and Old World porcupines occupy a wide range of habitats. Because quills are so lightly attached, they come off easily when a predator encounters them. Basic facts about Crested Porcupine: lifespan, distribution and habitat map, lifestyle and social behavior, mating habits, diet and nutrition, population size and status. The porcupine is a common and wide-spread resident of the Adirondacks where it occurs to elevations of at least 1220 m (4000 ft). Different species can found in desert habitats, various forests, hillsides, mountains, and rocky cliffs. Development and forestry practices that impact habitat can affect porcupine … Clipart .com Facebook In the non-forested areas found along riparian corridors with trees or … In the west, it can be found in scrubby areas. The porcupine tends to stay in the same home range and reuses the same den year after year. Quills are not thrown or shot, as popularly conceived. The porcupine is generally found in coniferous forests, but may also frequent mixed or deciduous stands in search of food. Range and Habitat: The range is most of Canada, Alaska, northern Mexico, and the western and northern U.S. With an extensive range, porcupines can be found in varied climates, and at varied elevations. They can be found in altitudes up to 12,100 ft. high. Porcupine habitat varies geographically. Porcupines are covered in about 30,000 quills.