Postcard - Porcupine & Watermelon

Texas Porcupine
Erethizon dorsatum, Greiner Ranch, Kerr County, Texas
Porcupines don’t have many friends! The Greiners love God’s wild creatures. Every night, Sherry provides their wild neighbors with a free, “All You Can Eat Buffet.” One porcupine came every night for weeks. The living “pin cushion” would knock on the Greiner’s sliding glass door with its claws to catch Sherry’s attention. With love and patience, Sherry hand fed the critter! Porcupines are the second largest rodent in Texas, after the beaver. They have 30,000 sharp needles that damage flesh, if contacted. Used only for defense, the barbed quills injure and kill many predators and dogs. With teeth like a beaver, claws like a badger, and a slow, awkward gait, the tree climbing animals can be docile, if you are nice to them!