PHOTO: Is That A Porcupine In A Tree?

Why yes, porcupines can climb trees. Why do you ask?

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Credit Ann Hough, National Elk Refuge volunteer / USFWS

Today we learned that porcupines are excellent tree climbers and spend most of their time up on the branches.

This beauty of a photo came to our attention thanks the Flickr feed of the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service. Our prickly friend here is hanging around at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, Wyoming.

I had no idea that porcupines could climb trees. A quick survey of a few folks either answered 'no' or very shaky 'yes?' Sure enough though, they can. Just to be sure, here's a baby porcupine climbing a tree in Maine:

While this is adorable, now I'm less concerned about stepping on a porcupine as I am now leery of the possibility that they can fall from the sky.