K & P Fauna - PORCUPINE Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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ABOUT THESE CACHES:
We so enjoyed putting out the K & P Ticket series, that we thought we would continue along the trail. This time, the theme is the fauna. If you see any of the animals, birds or reptiles mentioned, please feel free to take pictures and post them at the appropriate cache – but please, for a change, NO PHOTOS OF EACH CACHE (sure, the log if you have to).
BIKING is possible for the whole trail, though one little section (near White Tailed Deer) is rough, so you may need to walk it – depending on your bike tire size. This trail is NOT recommended for thin tires!
If you don’t see any fauna, then you are caching way too fast! Enjoy the ride and enjoy the habitat of so many little and big “critters”.
BONUS: At each cache in this “Fauna” series, check for a clue for two more bonus caches (GC4M5RT “K & P Fauna – BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE, and GC4M572, “K & P Fauna – RACCOON”). Make sure to keep a note of each clue (bring paper/pen maybe?).
PORCUPINE
The slow-moving North American porcupine is Canada's second-largest rodent (beavers are larger). It is distributed throughout most of the timbered areas of North America. In large males, the body may reach a length of 64.5 cm (25 in.) with the tail adding 14.5 cm (5.5 in). Average weights for males are 5.5 kg (12 lb.) and 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) for females, but individuals have been known to weigh up to 18 kg (39 lb.).
The head, neck and rump are protected by quills. When under attack, the North American porcupine presents its posterior to its adversary and lashes out with its spiny tail. The quills are so lightly fixed to the porcupine's body that they are easily detached and left imbedded in the attacker. The popular notion that porcupines can throw their quills is mistaken.
The tips of the quills are covered with barbs that point backwards, away from the tips. When a quill gets stuck in another animal's skin, the barbs make removing the quills painful and difficult. Porcupine quills are naturally antiseptic; although they can do tissue and organ damage as they travel through the victim, they rarely fester. This is, no doubt, of survival value to the porcupines themselves as they do impale themselves and each other on occasion. Excellent swimmers, the air-filled quills help keep the porcupine afloat.
Fishers are a primary predator of porcupines, but quills have been found embedded in coyotes, cougars, bobcats, foxes, lynxes, bears, wolves and even Great Horned Owls. These predators kill a porcupine by biting its unprotected face or by flipping it over to expose the vulnerable underside.
Primarily nocturnal, North American porcupines are active all year. Their summer diet consists of a variety of shrub and tree leaves. In winter, they feed on the cambium layer and inner bark of trees, and evergreen needles. Their fondness for salt often leads them to roadways where salt has been sprinkled to melt winter ice. Around campsites, they will gnaw on anything smeared with salty sweat, such as canoe paddles, axe handles and saddles.
A porcupine produces one offspring at a time. Young are able to move about quite briskly shortly after birth and, unlike their stolid parents, are quite playful.
PARKING: The trail for these caches is on a 6 km stretch between Ferguslea Road near Hwy 132 (N45 26.028 W76 44.676 – the posted Coordinates for CHICKADEE) and a cross over at Pucker St. (N45 22.813 W76 45.118 – the posted coordinates for RACCOON). You may park at either end but the parking at Ferguslea is much better as there is more room for vehicles. In summer bring bug juice and water!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)