Food
Herbivore
Porcupines eat bark, leaves and stems.
Plant eater
HomeAnimals A–ZLetter PPorcupine
Porcupine Facts for Kids: P Is for Porcupine
Porcupines are covered in thousands of sharp quills. They cannot shoot their quills, but the quills come out easily if touched. Here are easy porcupine facts for kids: what porcupines eat, how big they grow, what a baby porcupine is called and where porcupines live. Read them out loud, try the quiz, then color the letter P.
Mammaltype
Herbivorediet
Porcupettebaby name
Fun facts
Fun Facts About Porcupines
Two more true facts about the porcupine that kids love. Tap the button to hear the name, then read each fact together.
Pp
Say “Porcupine”
Porcupine starts with the letter P. Clap once for each part of the word as you say it.
1
Did you know?
A porcupine can have about 30,000 quills.
2
One more fact
It cannot shoot its quills.
Act it outMove like a porcupine for ten seconds.
Spot the letterFind the letter P in “Porcupine”.
Ask a questionWhat would a porcupine eat for breakfast?
Quick facts
Porcupine Facts at a Glance
Everything a curious kid wants to know about the porcupine, in eight short cards.
Size
How big?
A porcupine is about 60 to 90 cm long.
Body sizeLife
How long?
Porcupines live for about 15 to 20 years.
LifespanBaby
Porcupette
A baby porcupine is called a porcupette.
Baby nameGroup
Prickle
A group of porcupines is called a prickle.
Group nameHabitat
Forests
Porcupines are found in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia.
Where they liveAnimal type
Mammal
Porcupines are covered in thousands of sharp quills. They cannot shoot their quills, but the quills come out easily if touched.
Porcupine is a mammalLetter
P is for porcupine
Porcupine has 9 letters and starts with P.
Say: Porcupine
Quick quiz
Porcupine Quiz for Kids
A tiny game to check what stuck. Read the question out loud and let your little one tap the answer.
Question 1
Score: 0
Free download
Free printable
Porcupine Coloring Page: Letter P Worksheet
Done reading about the porcupine? Print the free letter P sheet, say “P is for porcupine” together and color the big letters. Great for circle time, morning work or a quiet afternoon at home.
1
Download the PDFOne click, no sign-up or email
2
Print at home or schoolFits US Letter and A4 paper
3
Color and traceBig letters and dotted tracing lines
Uppercase PLowercase pTracing practiceFind the P animals
Download Free PDF
3 pages, black & white
Questions
All FAQs
Porcupine Questions Kids Ask
Porcupines eat bark, leaves and stems. That makes the porcupine a herbivore, which means it is a plant eater.
A porcupine is about 60 to 90 cm long.
Porcupines live for about 15 to 20 years.
A baby porcupine is called a porcupette.
A group of porcupines is called a prickle.
Porcupines live in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia. Their favorite habitat is: forests.
Yes. The porcupine is a mammal. Porcupines are covered in thousands of sharp quills. They cannot shoot their quills, but the quills come out easily if touched.
Porcupine starts with the letter P. Say it slowly and listen for the P sound at the start.
Keep exploring
All P animals
More Animals Like the Porcupine
Other P animals and more mammals to read about next.
Bird
Penguins cannot fly, but they are amazing swimmers. They use their flippers like wings to zoom through the water.
Lives in: Antarctica Read penguin factsMammal
Giant pandas spend most of their day eating bamboo. They live in misty mountain forests in China.
Lives in: Forests Read panda factsMammal
The dik-dik is one of the smallest antelopes in Africa. Its name comes from the whistling sound it makes when it is scared.
Lives in: Savanna Read dik-dik factsMammal
Lions live together in family groups called prides. A lion’s roar can be heard from about 5 miles away.
Lives in: Savanna Read lion facts