Barbara, Convertino, age 8, of Utica,

Does a porcupine ever lose, his quills?

The prickly porcupine may lose a few quills every day. This does not bother him at all, for new quills begin to grow in right away, just as you grow a new hair when you lose an old one. Besides which, Mr. Prickles may have 30,000 quills and a few will not be missed.

If you watch a porcupine brush against a tree, you may see that he has left a few quills behind him. His sharp spears grow from the muscles just under the skin end they are never firmly fixed. A slight touch will often make a few of them come loose, When he strikes an enemy with his tail, he is sure to have a number of prickles behind.