Who shoots himself with needles? Porcupines - forest clowns

Porcupines are reclusive animals, but can inflict painful injuries if they feel threatened. If you, another person, or an animal are attacked by a porcupine, you should visit a doctor or veterinarian to have the quills removed. You can only remove them at home if they are few in number and not in sensitive areas such as the eyes, or if you do not have access to medical care. Follow these steps carefully to reduce the chance of infection or organ damage.

Steps

Removing quills from dogs or other animals

Treat the animal quickly. Porcupine quills are much less likely to cause complications if they are removed within the first 24 hours. Animals examined during this period almost always make a full recovery. Delayed treatment increases the likelihood of eye complications, joint damage, and infections. Dogs that have quill injuries in the mouth area will not be able to eat until the quills are removed.

Take your pet to a veterinarian if possible. Removing quills from an animal at home is a painful process, and even the most gentle animal will resist. If the animal has been pierced with ten or more quills, especially in the mouth and eye area, or the animal has a tendency to aggressive behavior, make every effort to find a veterinarian. Uninstall games at home only as a last resort.

You must have one or more helpers to restrain the animal. Unless the animal is small and unusually calm, you should have a friend hold it in place. Choose someone the dog likes, if possible, to further minimize stress and fighting. Struggling while removing the needles can cause the needles to go even deeper, where you can no longer reach them.

Check for quills all over the animal's body. Most animals are injured in multiple places, and some quills may be so small that they are difficult to see. If the animal itself tries to get rid of the quills, they can dig into the paws and injure them, because the porcupine could hit the animal several times.

The animal should be as relaxed as possible. Move and speak slowly and hold your dog as gently as possible, although always be prepared to dodge the bite. Before removing quills from the animal's face, cover your eyes with your hand or have an assistant do the same.

Never cut the needle before removal. You may have heard or read advice about cutting the needle in half so that it is easier to squeeze out and remove. Do not follow this advice: the needle will be more difficult to grasp and may fall apart into several pieces under the skin.

Grasp the needle at the base with pliers or a clamp. Use flat-nose pliers that can firmly grip the base of the needle close to the skin. You may need to use smaller pliers to remove the small needles. Clamps or small medical forceps designed to hold in place are an excellent choice.

• Grip the needle firmly, but not hard enough to break it.
• Do not pull the needles with your fingers. They are covered in tiny spines and scales that will cause pain and damage the skin.

1. Pull the needle quickly in the opposite direction. Pull the needle out by firmly grasping the base and pulling in a straight line if possible. Try sliding the needle straight out of the hole rather than sideways, as this may cause new damage or breakage inside the animal.

   If the tip of the needle falls off, remove it with disinfected tweezers. Look at the base of the needle to see if the tip is visible there. If it is torn, it can cause an infection or even pass into the animal's organs. You will need to disinfect the tweezers and try to remove the needle piece.

   Try pulling out the remaining needles. Take each needle directly next to the skin. Pull it firmly and quickly to minimize pain. Always pull in the opposite direction from the entrance, not at an angle. Check the tip after each needle removal to ensure it is not left inside the animal.

   • Check the animal again for quills, you may have missed something. It's better to be sure because removed needles lead to a quick and reliable recovery.

2. Dress or disinfect wounds depending on location. Apply a dressing if the wounds are on the animal's torso, because there may be a significant amount of blood there. Other wounds should be left open so you can monitor for infection. But you should apply disinfectants or antiseptics to them to reduce the risk of infection. Do not disinfect chest wounds.

   Give your animal a rabies vaccine. While the chances of contracting rabies are quite low, the disease can lead to fatal outcome, so don't skip this step. Any warm-blooded animal can get rabies, including cats, dogs, birds, horses and livestock. Your local doctor or veterinarian should know if there are cases of rabies in your area and should provide vaccination.

   • Mammals such as dogs and cats can not only get rabies, but also pass it on to people. Ask your doctor for a rabies vaccine for yourself, especially if you have not vaccinated your animal right away.
   • Even if your pet has received a vaccine within the last three years, ask your doctor for another shot.

3. Look for signs of complications over the next few weeks. If your pet is still sick after a week or shows signs of infection, take him to the vet immediately. Red or swollen areas, pus, or skin that is warm to the touch may indicate an infection.

   Removing needles from a person

   1. In serious cases, consult a doctor. If there are a lot of needles, the doctor will remove them less painfully. Do not attempt to remove needles from your face or throat at home.

      Ask the person to remain calm. The removal process is painful and requires the patient to sit still for an extended period of time until all the needles are removed. Remove the needles as quickly as possible.

      • If the victim jerks, there is a risk that the top of the needle may break and go deeper, causing serious problems. Take the person to the doctor if they cannot sit still.

   2. Never trim the needle before removal. Many people cut the needle before removing it so that it is smaller and can be squeezed out. Professionals advise against doing this, as it may make it difficult to remove and may cause it to break into several pieces.

      Grasp the needle with pliers or a clamp. You may need different sizes of pliers if you have both small and large needles. The needles require tools for removal because they have barbed ends along the surface that make them easy to cling to an object but difficult to remove in the opposite direction. If you try to pull the needle out by hand, it will go through your fingers.

      Grab the needle at the base. Use the tool to grab it as close to the skin as possible, if possible. You may even want to tighten the skin below the needle so that gently pulling it out doesn't break it or cause too much pain.

      Pull the needle smoothly. Use a powerful, quick motion to pull the needle out. Don't twist it because it may break. Try to pull it out at the same angle it went in, straight back out of the wound.

      Examine the area where the needle was to make sure the tip did not come off. Broken needles can remain in the skin and cause infection. Contact your doctor if this happens.

      • If you are unable to see a doctor, disinfect a pair of clean (no dirt) tweezers by placing them in boiling water for five minutes. Remove them from the water with forceps and let them cool on a clean paper towel for a few minutes before removing the needle tip from the wound.

   3. Repeat the removal process for every needle you can find. Ask the patient to say where he still feels pain. This may indicate smaller needles or needle debris that neither of you noticed. Remove them as described above.

      Heal your wounds. Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and wipe the wounds. Sterile alcohol swabs found in your medicine cabinet will also work. Use mild soap and water if nothing else is available.

      Apply antibiotic ointment to the wounds. You may apply a bandage with ointment to keep it in place if the person is involved in vigorous activity or if they scratch the wound. Otherwise, you can leave the affected area unbandaged and watch for infection.

      Check the wound every day for signs of infection. Possible infection may appear as redness, swelling and pus. You should see your doctor if this happens so that you can be prescribed a safe and effective antibiotic to fight the infection.

      • If a person has any unexplained pain over the next few weeks, one should go to the doctor and mention the porcupine incident. There is a possibility that the tip of the needle remains somewhere and perhaps it has gone deep into the body, where it can cause serious damage.

   4. Ask your doctor for a rabies vaccine as soon as possible. Although rabies is mainly transmitted through bites, you shouldn't take any chances. If you contract the rabies virus from a porcupine and do not get vaccinated quickly (or have not done so in the recent past), there is a high chance of death.

      • Even if the victim has been vaccinated within the last three years, ask the doctor for another one.

   Reducing the likelihood of encountering a porcupine

   1. Don't expect your animal to learn to avoid a porcupine. Many dogs and other animals injured by a porcupine encounter it more than once. If your pet has been injured by a porcupine in your area, it is likely to encounter it again and may provoke it again.

      Identify possible porcupine habitats. Porcupines live in small, enclosed spaces. Caves, spaces at the bottom of a log, or rock mounds can all be their home. Keep your pet on a leash when passing these areas, or turn your pet back if he decides to go explore these areas. If anyone has encountered a porcupine near your home, this may indicate that it may be living under the floor, in the cellar, or in the corner of the shed.

Porcupine is directly related to the rodent family. The animal's body length is approximately 80 cm, and its weight is about 13 kg. Appearance porcupine in the photo suggests that he is a rather gloomy and aggressive creature.

In particular, we are talking about the needles with which the animal’s body is covered. The approximate number of needles is 30 thousand. They may seem heavy, but in fact, each needle weighs no more than 250 g.

Besides, porcupine quills They do not at all interfere with its movement; on the contrary, they help the presented rodent keep its body on the water, as well as protect itself from predators.

The fact is that needles play the role of floats, thanks to the voids inside and, naturally, scare away others. At the same time, they are the cause of the extermination of porcupines, since needles are used in the manufacture of all kinds of jewelry.

The porcupine is distinguished by extremely strong and strong teeth. For example, in order to chew through a metal wire of medium diameter, an animal will need a large number of time. The rodent's diet includes a variety of roots, apples, as well as hawthorn and rose hips.

Besides, porcupine eats pumpkin and potatoes, for the sake of which a rodent is quite ready to go to someone’s plot. At the same time, animals are accustomed to sleeping during the daytime and hunting for their favorite plant food at night. You can see how much the animal loves pumpkin porcupine video at the bottom of the article.

Also among the porcupine’s favorite types of food are the bark and branches of various trees. It is worth noting that every porcupine is a significant threat to forest area. The thing is that they practically cannot do without bark.

Porcupines quickly climb trees using long, strong claws in search of a convenient place. Having sat down on a strong branch, the animal begins its meal.

To appreciate the damage that porcupines cause to trees, you just need to imagine that during one winter alone, a representative of the rodent family is capable of destroying up to hundreds of trees.

A very widespread legend is that porcupines shoot with their sharp quills when in danger. However, in fact, this is a myth, the reason for which lies in the behavior of the porcupine and the characteristics of its “weapon”.

Despite the menacing appearance of the quills, they are not held firmly enough, therefore, when the porcupine senses danger and intends to intimidate the enemy, it shakes its tail, which leads to the quills falling out.

Porcupine species and habitat

By using pictures with porcupines it is not difficult to guess that these animals are divided into a large number of species, the main of which are South African, Malayan, Crested, Indian and Javan.

Moreover, the name of each species appeared in connection with the territory in which it is distributed. Among all the species there are also arboreal porcupine, which is inferior to its relatives in body size and needle length.

Pictured is a tree porcupine

South African porcupine received its name from its habitat. At the same time, the animal prefers all kinds of vegetation cover with the exception of wooded areas.

Crested porcupine considered the most common species of the entire genus. It can be found over a fairly vast territory, which includes Southern Europe, Asia Minor and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, India and partly some other lands.

Indian porcupine found not only in India, but also in South and Central Asia, Transcaucasia and in the territory. The habitat of the Javan porcupine is represented by the territory of Indonesia, and Malay view distributed in the northeast, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as some islands and peninsulas.

Pictured is a crested porcupine

In general, the porcupine is considered a mountain animal. At the same time, it is most convenient for him to live in his own hole. In the foothills, representatives of the rodent family are found infrequently, and even less often on flat terrain.

However, even there the porcupine tries to find a place with ravines, basins and other landscape phenomena. Porcupine lives not only in burrows that it digs on its own, but also in the cavities of rocks, caves, etc.

Often, a porcupine's burrow consists of numerous branches and additional passages. Quite often a porcupine can be found nearby settlements. Addicted to food grown on plots, sometimes porcupine begs for food, daring to get extremely close to people.

Reproduction and lifespan of a porcupine

Porcupines breed only once during the year, and this period falls on early spring. As a rule, porcupines are characterized by a small number of offspring, maximum amount cubs reach five. However, most often one or two porcupines are born, so we can safely talk about non-intensive reproduction.

Once born, a porcupine calf is already a well-formed and moderately developed animal. It is quite capable of climbing trees, but instead of quills, the newborn porcupine has soft hair, which is why it cannot defend itself.

Pictured is a baby porcupine

But, after a short time, each hair begins to harden, as a result of which strong needles appear. The average lifespan of porcupines is about 20 years. People managed to tame these animals, so now there are many opportunities to buy a porcupine as a pet.

Porcupines may have strange looking, but they need needles for self-defense. Animals don't carry knives and guns for protection like some people. But each of them has developed its own unique defense mechanisms. Skunks spray foul-smelling liquid. Electric eels give an electric shock. And the porcupine is simply a unique animal, its method of self-defense is very similar to one plant that we all know and love - the cactus (the porcupine is even called a walking cactus).

Here are some Interesting Facts: There are 43 species of porcupines. Porcupines live in Northern and South America, Asia, Africa and southern Europe. They climb trees or move around on the ground, feeding at night on whatever they find - from branches and bark to apples and dandelions.

A porcupine can weigh up to 13 kg. He doesn't move very fast, he waddles.

The porcupine has about 30,000 quills.

But its slowness is more than compensated for by its armor - more than 30,000 needles, from very short ones on the tail to 10-centimeter ones on the back and sides. The needles are actually hair that has changed during the process of evolution, but they are very sharp and hard, as if made of iron. Moreover, they are jagged, not straight, so if these needles get into the victim’s skin, they stay there.

However, before using the quills, the porcupine warns of danger - it grinds its teeth, shakes its tail and even, like a skunk, emits a liquid with a disgusting odor. When push comes to shove, he doesn't shoot needles like darts like in many cartoons. Here's how it really happens: an angry porcupine, if in danger, tenses the muscles under its skin so that its quills stand on end. The needles hold so weakly in the skin that when they come into contact with the victim’s body, they easily cling to it and remain there. Naturally, the porcupine can also contribute to this process by stepping on the enemy or deftly hitting him with his tail, thereby adding even more quills to the body. Having pierced the body, the needle continues its movement further, often completely disappearing under the skin. Sometimes the needle pierces an organ in the body and this can even cause death. But usually, injections from porcupine quills do not cause much harm, although they are very painful. The needle can be slowly pulled out of the body, and sometimes they come out on their own. For example, in one man the needle entered his shoulder, traveled under the skin to his wrist and came out two days later.

The needles are held in the skin so weakly that when they come into contact with the victim’s body, they easily cling to it and remain there.

However, quills protect the porcupine not only in this way. Thus, biologist Uldis Rose from New York found that the oily substance covering each needle is a natural antibiotic. Rose pushed the needle under his skin and, when it came out two days later, found that the wound remained clean and had not become infected.

By analyzing the fats of this oily substance, Rose found that they could kill six types of bacteria, including staphylococci and streptococci.

Why would a porcupine produce and coat its quills with a substance that kills bacteria? Because a porcupine can sometimes accidentally injure itself or its fellows, and antibiotics, preventing the development of serious complications, help one porcupine, and therefore the entire species, to survive.

Porcupines may look scary, but in reality they are just like other animals. If they like you or know you, they won't hurt you. Another biologist, Richard Earl, knows this for sure, since he raised a male porcupine from childhood, calling him Tabby.

Tubby loved to play a game with Earl. He would start spinning, then suddenly stop and swat Earl's leg with his tail. The idea, apparently, was that Earl knew the blow was coming, but never knew when, much like a game of musical chairs.

What added spice to this game was that the tail slap was just as strong as in the case of real defense against an attack, the only difference being that Tubby performed it with the soft underside of his tail.

Porcupines are medium-sized rodents well known for their ability to defend themselves by driving barbed quills at their attackers. But contrary to popular myths, porcupines do not launch their quills; they are more likely to avoid people than attack them. However, if a porcupine drives its quills into human flesh, the results can be painful and contagious, so follow these guidelines the next time you encounter a porcupine.

Porcupines: myths and facts
Porcupines live in the Americas, Europe, South Asia and Africa, and they are often the size of a medium-sized cat or dog. Porcupines vary in color, ranging from brown to gray and rarely white. They are covered in spines or spines, which serve as both camouflage and a defense mechanism. You can meet a porcupine at any time of the year and at any time of day, but they lead night look live and feed on the ground or in trees, so you are more likely to encounter a porcupine at night when it is looking for food.

It is a myth that porcupines can aim and throw their quills at predators. Instead, the porcupine's quills become detached from the porcupine's body as the predator comes into contact with them. A porcupine can also launch quills when it shakes its body. Porcupine quills are made of thick, overlapping scales of keratin, and they are serrated so that when they enter the predator's flesh, they are detached from the porcupine.

This process is completely painful for the porcupine, which eventually grows new quills, but the barbed quills are difficult to remove and can cause infection in the predator. There have been recorded cases of leopards being killed by porcupine quills, which pierce vital organs of the animal, such as the liver (youtube.com/watch?v=FhiQKxurhqg).

Interesting facts about porcupines
1. The origin of the word "porcupine" can be traced to old English and French words.
The word porcupine is derived from the French word "porc d" espine, which means "prickly pig". English versions: "porcupyne" and "porcapyne".

2. Porcupines are the third largest rodent in the world and second in North America.
They come behind beavers (2nd place) and capybaras (first place).

Photo. Porcupine quills

3. A porcupine has approximately 30,000 quills on its body.
Typically, a porcupine has soft hair mixed with quills that grow on its back, sides, and tail. Lost needles are replaced with new ones.

4. There are two different types of porcupines.
Old world porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia and Africa. New World porcupines are found in North America and northern South America.

5. Old world porcupines can't climb trees, but they are excellent swimmers.
In America, porcupines are able to cling to trees with their tails and catch branches if they fall.

6. Porcupines are nocturnal herbivores.
Porcupines are primarily nocturnal creatures; they rest during the day in hollow logs and trees, crevices, and later emerge to feed on tree bark, grass, branches, stems, berries, etc.

7. Their needles contain medicine.
Each quill contains a unique antibiotic so that if attacked, the porcupine can avoid infection. This protection mechanism also prevents infection from accidental acupuncture.

8. Porcupine babies have soft quills at birth that harden within a few days.
A pair of porcupines usually gives birth to two young, with both parents caring for their young. Porcupines leave their mother at about 6 months of age, when they can fend for themselves.

9. Porcupine quills have overlapping spines, making them difficult to remove.
Each needle has between 700 and 800 spines along its tip.

10. Porcupines mate during a ritual, fighting fiercely and defecating on the female.
Typical marriage ritual consists of two males fighting for a free female. Males are careful in their actions so as not to injure themselves during the fight; as a result, the winner urinates on the female.

11. Native Americans in the past used porcupine quills to decorate themselves. They also used porcupines as a food source. Porcupines can live 15-18 years.

Some porcupine incidents

Woman got 200 porcupine quills in her head after the animal fell on her head

Photo. Porcupine quills in a woman's head

According to workers at a Brazilian hospital, a woman was taken to the hospital after a porcupine fell on her.

A Brazilian woman has described her agony following a terrifying incident after a porcupine fell on her head while she was walking her dog. Nabucco Sandra, 52, was left with 200 needles in her scalp after an unfortunate incident in Rio de Janeiro on January 20, 2014. The housewife was taken by neighbors to a local hospital, where each needle was removed individually without anesthesia.

“I was taken by surprise. I felt something fall on my head and then I felt the needles in my hands. The pain was intense. The surgeon took them out with tweezers. We stopped counting when we counted 150, but it is quite possible that there were about 200,” the woman recalls.

"I Strong woman, an elderly person or a child would die,” she said.

According to the initial investigation, the porcupine fell onto her head from a lamppost.

A man grabbed a porcupine with his bare hands

Photo. Porcupine quills in a man's hand

In 2010, a 34-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department of the Santa Casa de Ubatuba Municipal Hospital in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with numerous needles in his left arm. The injured tourist reported seeing the porcupine in the woods near his holiday home and tried to catch it, knowing nothing about the animal, even as it bristled and became more aggressive.

While holding the animal tightly, several needles entered the palm and fingers of the left hand, causing pain and psychomotor agitation. The needles were removed with pliers during transurethral anesthesia. Thereafter, the patient was treated with cephalosporin for ten days and instructed to wash the affected area with soap and water three times daily. Ten days later, the victim fully recovered.

How to avoid a collision with a porcupine
Since porcupines are nocturnal animals, take extra care when walking at night and be aware of this, especially if you are in a porcupine habitat.

North American porcupines (porcupines) can climb trees to search for food. Carry a flashlight with you when you walk at night, and hike on clear trails so you can see a porcupine before you stumble upon one.

Porcupines are usually afraid of large animals such as people and they are not prone to aggressive attacks. If a porcupine is threatened, it will expose its quills towards a potential predator. A porcupine may also swing its quill-covered tail toward a potential predator, but porcupines are typically short-sighted and slow-moving, so they are unlikely to react to your presence by launching a furious attack.

Without turning your back to it, slowly move away from a porcupine that appears alarmed, either give the porcupine plenty of space to leave the area or walk around it and let it go where it goes. Make sure you don't startle the animal or get close enough to touch its quills.

How to Remove Porcupine Quills and Heal a Wound
Remove the porcupine quills as quickly as possible to prevent swelling and make the process even more painful. If you have scissors or a knife in your equipment, or better yet, pliers, use these tools. Cut off the tip of the needle to make removal easier by releasing the pressure in the needle, and then grasp the needle firmly with pliers.

Remove the needle in one strong movement, being careful not to twist it or break it in the process. Do not pull out the needles with your fingers, as the barbs on the needles may hurt your fingers. Repeat this process for each needle you need to remove.

If you are at home, you can make needle removal easier by mixing a vinegar and baking soda solution in a bathtub and soaking the embedded needles in the solution until they soften. After removing all needles, wash the affected area with soap and water and apply antibiotic ointment. Take or use a pain reliever or antihistamine as needed to reduce pain and swelling. Watch for signs of infection, including redness, swelling, and fluid. Go to the doctor at the first sign of infection, and seek immediate medical attention if needles damage a vital part of the body or if they become lodged in the face, eyes, or mouth.