If you've found strips of bark chewed off a tree, gnawed wooden steps or a pet with a face full of quills near your Clark home, you might wonder whether a porcupine is responsible. Porcupines are quiet, slow and mostly active at night, so most people notice the damage long before they see the animal. In New Jersey, porcupines are found mainly in the forested northern parts of the state, so in many neighborhoods a sighting would be unusual, and other animals are often the real culprits. Below, we'll cover the signs of porcupines, how to tell their work from other animals, whether they're dangerous and what to do. If you're not sure what animal is visiting your property, our wildlife removal services start with an inspection to find out.
What Porcupines Are
The North American porcupine is a large, heavy-bodied rodent with a round back and short legs. Its body is covered with sharp, barbed quills mixed in with long guard hairs. The quills are hollow, and they're actually specialized hairs. Porcupines are slow on the ground but good climbers, and they spend a lot of time in trees. They eat bark, twigs, buds and leaves, and in warmer months they also eat plants on the ground.
Porcupines love salt. That craving leads them to chew on things people have touched with sweaty hands, like tool handles, wooden railings and outdoor furniture, as well as anything treated with salt.
Signs You Have Porcupines
- Chewed bark high in trees. Large patches of bark stripped from trunks and upper branches, often with tooth marks visible on the bare wood.
- Clipped twigs under trees. Small branches with leaves or buds dropped on the ground beneath a tree where a porcupine has been feeding.
- Gnawed wood around the home. Chewing on decks, steps, sheds, wooden tool handles and outdoor furniture.
- Droppings. Piles of curved, pellet-like droppings, often found at den entrances or at the base of trees they use.
- Dens. Rock crevices, hollow logs, brush piles and the spaces under sheds or porches.
- Quills. Loose quills on the ground, on a pet or near a damaged area.
How To Rule Out Lookalikes
Several animals leave damage that can be mistaken for porcupine work:
- Squirrels. They strip bark too, often in thinner strips, and are seen during the day.
- Groundhogs. They chew wood and burrow under sheds and decks, but leave large dirt mounds at burrow entrances.
- Deer. They browse twigs and buds and rub bark with their antlers, but leave ragged edges rather than clean tooth marks.
- Voles and rabbits. They gnaw bark near the ground, especially in winter, not high in trees.
If the damage is low on young trees and shrubs, read our guide on how to identify vole damage. A loose quill is the clearest sign that a porcupine has actually been around.
Are Porcupines Dangerous?
Porcupines aren't aggressive. They can't throw their quills. When threatened, they turn their back, raise their quills and swing their tail. Quills detach easily on contact and work their way into skin. The main risk is to dogs that chase or bite them. If your pet gets quilled, take it to a veterinarian right away. Don't try to handle a porcupine yourself, and if a person is injured by quills, see a doctor.
Like other mammals, porcupines can carry rabies, though it's not common. Any wild animal acting strangely should be reported to local animal control.
How To Protect Your Property
- Keep dogs supervised at night. Porcupines are most active from dusk to dawn.
- Store tools and salty items inside. Keep tool handles, gloves and anything salt-treated in a shed or garage.
- Close off den sites. Block openings under decks, porches and sheds once you're sure nothing is living there.
- Protect valuable trees. Ask an arborist about trunk guards for trees that are being stripped.
- Clear brush piles. Remove piles of wood and brush near the house that could serve as shelter.
Porcupines are wildlife, and New Jersey has rules on trapping and relocating wild animals. For questions about a porcupine on your property, contact NJ Fish & Wildlife or a licensed professional.
When To Call A Professional
If something is chewing your deck, shed or trees and you can't tell what it is, an inspection is the place to start. Our NJ DEP-licensed technicians can inspect your property, identify the animal by the signs it leaves and find the openings it's using. We seal entry points under decks, porches and sheds with pest-resistant materials and recommend next steps that follow wildlife rules. We offer free inspections with same-day and next-day service.
Porcupines may be rare visitors, but their signs are distinctive once you know them. Whether it turns out to be a porcupine or another animal, a careful look around your Clark home will tell you what you're dealing with.