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Porcupine
The prickly pear of the mammal world, the porcupine (Erethizon
dorsatum) carries some 30,000 quills in its quiver, and each barbed
quill can deliver a stinging reminder that the animal prefers to be left
alone. However, contrary to myth, a porcupine cannot "shoot" its
quills at intruders. The surest signs of porcupine presence are
their tracks - the front tracks show four toes with claws while the back
paws reveal five claws, and the cat-like feces the animal produces when
it browses on the bark of trees. Porcupines are widely dispersed
in the forests of Yellowstone National Park, and are common along
stretches of highway that dissect stands of old-growth forest.
 Where To Find Them
Porcupines can sometimes be seen along the roads that run through the
older forests of Yellowstone. One of the best locations to see a
porcupine is along the road between Mammoth and Tower Junction.
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