Prehensile Tailed Porcupine

The National Zoo's newest arrival, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, was born early morning, February 8, 2006, and is on exhibit at the Washington's National Zoo's Small Mammal House. This newborn is the fourth prehensile-tailed porcupine at the National Zoo, along with its parents and older sister, which was born last April. Prehensile-tailed porcupines, which are native to South America, use their tails for grasping and hanging. Porcupines are mostly nocturnal, and can become quite aggressive when threatened. They shake their quills, growl and curl up into a ball if caught. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY REUTERS/Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian's National Zoo/Handout