The North American Porcupine, or Canadian Porcupine, is the largest porcupine species in North America. It is distributed across various habitats and can reach three feet with tails up to a foot long.

It has around 30,000 barbed, hollow quills embedded into its skin or hair and can easily detach from the porcupine's body. Additionally, North American Porcupines feed on various vegetation, making it a nuisance to foresters. Predators like the North American golden eagles also hunt them.

One peculiar habit of the porcupine is self-anointing, which involves creating a paste and meticulously applying it to its quills. Scientists still do not know the reason behind this behavior.