Credit: Jeff Stiefbold
Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange has welcomed their newest “zoo born,” a baby porcupine – or porcupette — born on April 16 to mom “Becky.” Zoo officials report that mother and baby are doing well and are officially on exhibit just in time for Mother’s Day.
According to a release from the zoo, although the word porcupine comes from the Latin for “quill pig,” porcupines are actually rodents. Porcupines are covered with soft hair as well as quills that stand up when a porcupine feels threatened. The effect makes the porcupine look larger and also delivers a prickly poke to a predator who gets too close.
The Turtle Back Zoo will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, and 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Mother’s Day. For more information, visit TurtleBackZoo.com or facebook.com/TurtleBackZoo.
