Meet the new baby porcupines at the Austin Nature and Science Center
Sep 13, 2022
Austin Nature and Science Center

One of two new porcupines meets the press at the Austin Nature and Science Center. Pam LeBlanc photo

Porcupines, known as porcupettes, look vaguely like prickly little potatoes when they’re born.

They’re smaller than a fist, and already covered with quills, which harden within a few hours of birth.

But as the weeks pass, they grow into lumbering, vegetation-munching rodents with eyes the size of thumb tacks and toenails that help them cling to trees.

Austin Nature and Science Center

The Austin Nature and Science Center will unveil two new baby porcupines to the public this Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. Pam LeBlanc photo

They’re oddly cute, as I discovered this morning, during a visit to the Austin Nature & Science Center, which unveiled a pair of four-month-old North American porcupines that will be introduced to the public this Sunday.

Just one, a male, made an appearance today. The female is still acclimating to its new home. Both were born in Minnesota.

The as-yet-unnamed, 6-pound bundle of quills I met emerged from a plastic dog carrier the size of a large suitcase, nibbled bits of lettuce, sweet potatoes and apples, chewed on a leafy branch, and all but ignored the small crowd of journalists who gathered to admire it.

Austin Nature and Science Center

Porcupines are born with quills, which harden within a few hours. Pam LeBlanc photo

Porcupines, it turns out, are the second largest rodent in North America, weighing in behind the North American beaver. When the center’s new porcupines are full grown, they’ll weigh about 12 pounds each.

Related: Explore the great outdoors in tiny Castell, Texas

Porcupine sightings are becoming more common in the Austin area. The species is slowly spreading into Central Texas, as the climate warms and they look for more reliable sources of water.

Help name the porcupines at the Austin Nature and Science Center

The public is invited to help name the center’s new babies, either by suggesting a name online or by visiting the center this Sunday, which is Austin Museum Day. Members of the Friends of the Austin Nature and Science Center will be collecting donations to make improvements to some of the center’s animal shelters.

Austin Nature and Science Center

The porcupines eat rodent blocks plus lettuce and fresh vegetables. Pam LeBlanc photo

The center’s goal is to educate the public about nature and natural places, and get people excited about what’s living in their own backyards. It offers programs and exhibits, including a sand pit where kids can dig for dinosaur “bones,” a honey bee hive, and a trading post where kids can bring in natural treasures and swap them for others.

The center also cares for rehabilitated wildlife like owls and hawks that can’t be released to the wild due to their injuries.

The porcupines will join the Small Wonders Exhibit, where visitors can also see an assortment of snakes, lizards and other reptiles.

The Austin Nature and Science Center is located at 2389 Stratford Drive, just south of the pedestrian bridge under Loop 1 (MoPac.).

Austin Nature and Science Center

The Austin Nature and Science Center introduced a new baby porcupine on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. Pam LeBlanc photo

Follow Austin Travels


Austin Travels is a women-owned, Austin-based travel magazine committed to highlighting destinations in Texas and beyond through the lenses of diverse and talented writers.

Subscribe

More Stories

From tortoise to penguins, wildlife takes center stage on a Galapagos Islands cruise

From tortoise to penguins, wildlife takes center stage on a Galapagos Islands cruise

Bluebonnets are back: A dozen spots to see spring wildflowers in Central Texas

Bluebonnets are back: A dozen spots to see spring wildflowers in Central Texas

Three close-to-Austin places to camp

Three close-to-Austin places to camp

What’s new on the slopes this ski season

What’s new on the slopes this ski season

Dipping into nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

Dipping into nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

Five days in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Five days in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Five park picks for fall camping season

Five park picks for fall camping season

An Alaskan Adventure of a Lifetime

An Alaskan Adventure of a Lifetime

Discover the raw beauty, warm culture and painful past of the far-flung Marshall Islands

Discover the raw beauty, warm culture and painful past of the far-flung Marshall Islands

Taking the Leap: Coasteering off the Coast of Northern Ireland

Taking the Leap: Coasteering off the Coast of Northern Ireland

Slowing down to soak in the beauty of Big Bend

Slowing down to soak in the beauty of Big Bend

Camping on Crutches

Camping on Crutches

The best campsites anywhere, ever

The best campsites anywhere, ever

Finding powder and snowy adventures at Purgatory Ski Resort

Finding powder and snowy adventures at Purgatory Ski Resort

Eat, Drink, Dance and Ride at Cycle Zydeco

Eat, Drink, Dance and Ride at Cycle Zydeco

Best bet for birding? Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Best bet for birding? Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

At Machu Picchu, a lost city in the Andes inspires a traveler

At Machu Picchu, a lost city in the Andes inspires a traveler

Riding Rocky Hill Ranch

Riding Rocky Hill Ranch

From jet boats to ski runs, family adventure awaits in Queenstown

From jet boats to ski runs, family adventure awaits in Queenstown

In Wydaho, stay in Idaho and ski at Grand Targhee in Wyoming

In Wydaho, stay in Idaho and ski at Grand Targhee in Wyoming

From scenery to bars, our picks for the best of North American ski resorts

From scenery to bars, our picks for the best of North American ski resorts

Three and a half cool days in historic Pensacola, Florida

Three and a half cool days in historic Pensacola, Florida

Eat, Sleep, Dive: A live-aboard dive trip in the Turks and Caicos

Eat, Sleep, Dive: A live-aboard dive trip in the Turks and Caicos

Three days in Monterey: Capturing California’s coastal charms

Three days in Monterey: Capturing California’s coastal charms

New terrain, new lifts and more: What’s new at ski resorts this season

New terrain, new lifts and more: What’s new at ski resorts this season

Surf Ireland: Catching waves on the Emerald Isle

Surf Ireland: Catching waves on the Emerald Isle

Discoveries down under: A new way to cave at Natural Bridge Caverns

Discoveries down under: A new way to cave at Natural Bridge Caverns

A rare retreat to mountainside luxury at Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

A rare retreat to mountainside luxury at Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Scalloping, saltwater springs and seashell strolls on Florida’s Sports Coast

Scalloping, saltwater springs and seashell strolls on Florida’s Sports Coast

Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas

Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas

Treasuring time in the Pacific Northwest’s Olympic National Park

Treasuring time in the Pacific Northwest’s Olympic National Park

The Green O: Mother Nature’s Posh Playground

The Green O: Mother Nature’s Posh Playground

Explore the great outdoors in little Castell, Texas

Explore the great outdoors in little Castell, Texas

Fishing, golf and more in the Santee region of South Carolina

Fishing, golf and more in the Santee region of South Carolina

Getting back to nature at the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary

Getting back to nature at the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary

Six places to park your campervan in Texas this Spring

Six places to park your campervan in Texas this Spring

Private Paradise: Diving into French Polynesia’s Dreamy Manihi

Private Paradise: Diving into French Polynesia’s Dreamy Manihi

Last Call: Cat Skiing at Colorado’s Keystone Resort

Last Call: Cat Skiing at Colorado’s Keystone Resort

Secret Sundance: Uncovering the unexpected in Heber Valley, Utah

Secret Sundance: Uncovering the unexpected in Heber Valley, Utah

Diving into French Polynesia

Diving into French Polynesia

Hiking and Swinging through French Polynesian Paradise

Hiking and Swinging through French Polynesian Paradise

A rare glimpse at pearl farming in Tahiti

A rare glimpse at pearl farming in Tahiti

Squeezing in every snowy moment at Solitude Mountain Resort

Squeezing in every snowy moment at Solitude Mountain Resort

A river adventure to reset your life: Rafting the Grand Canyon

A river adventure to reset your life: Rafting the Grand Canyon

Fishing up old memories and making new ones at Inks Lake State Park

Fishing up old memories and making new ones at Inks Lake State Park

Discover the diversity of LBJ National Grasslands

Discover the diversity of LBJ National Grasslands

A guide to the best kettle ponds on Cape Cod

A guide to the best kettle ponds on Cape Cod

Central Texas Camping Guide

Central Texas Camping Guide

A fall paddle down the Devils

A fall paddle down the Devils

Fort Collins: Paddling, Hiking and Biking, Oh My

Fort Collins: Paddling, Hiking and Biking, Oh My

Women, wind and waves: Surfing for adventure

Women, wind and waves: Surfing for adventure

Explore the gravel roads around Fort Collins on the FoCo Fondo bike ride

Explore the gravel roads around Fort Collins on the FoCo Fondo bike ride

Mountain biking mecca Mesa Verde Country is a must-ride

Mountain biking mecca Mesa Verde Country is a must-ride

Bike to Bentonville for 150 miles of trails and much more

Bike to Bentonville for 150 miles of trails and much more

Set your sights on Steamboat Springs this summer

Set your sights on Steamboat Springs this summer

Colorado’s Calling –– Take a summer trip to this cool state now

Colorado’s Calling –– Take a summer trip to this cool state now

Discovering hints of home in Red River

Discovering hints of home in Red River

Diving into the history of falconry at The Broadmoor

Diving into the history of falconry at The Broadmoor

Becoming a birder at Galveston’s FeatherFest

Becoming a birder at Galveston’s FeatherFest

Adventures Await: Roaming the road in a campervan

Adventures Await: Roaming the road in a campervan

Seminole Canyon’s world-class rock art is a lens to history

Seminole Canyon’s world-class rock art is a lens to history

For every season: A house divided over Estes Park, Colorado

For every season: A house divided over Estes Park, Colorado

Plan Your Outdoorsy Adventure

Plan Your Outdoorsy Adventure

Discover history and simple pleasures in Baffin Bay

Discover history and simple pleasures in Baffin Bay

Escape crowds and capture memories in snowy Southwest Montana

Escape crowds and capture memories in snowy Southwest Montana

What to know before you book a ski trip during a pandemic

What to know before you book a ski trip during a pandemic

Go to Red Mountain for $10 cat skiing, a barrel-shaped sauna and zero crowds

Go to Red Mountain for $10 cat skiing, a barrel-shaped sauna and zero crowds