{"id":6067,"date":"2012-09-07T05:35:38","date_gmt":"2012-09-07T11:35:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=6067"},"modified":"2024-04-07T06:56:04","modified_gmt":"2024-04-07T12:56:04","slug":"the-quill-pig-aka-north-american-porcupine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/09\/07\/the-quill-pig-aka-north-american-porcupine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Quill Pig aka North American Porcupine"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spotted a North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum<\/em>) and all I had wass low light. So what did I do? I focus on the Porcupine and start clicking away thinking that maybe a few images will turn out sharp and desperately hoping that I don’t get stuck<\/em> with\u00a0just soft ones. At first I thought it was a skunk because of the light quills and dark fur.<\/p>\n

\"NorthNorth American Porcupine on the shore of the Great Salt Lake – Nikon D300, handheld, f6.3, 1\/50, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 200mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Porcupine images have been elusive for me. I nearly cried one morning when I spotted one up on a rock out in the open and I couldn’t get to it fast enough to get the images of it I “saw” in my head.<\/p>\n

When I saw this one a few days ago I hopped out of the truck with my camera and tried to handhold the 200-400mm VR to get sharp images of it at\u00a0a shutter speed of 1\/50. Only a very few of those turned out because the animal kept moving. Some were ruined by the Brine Flies flying past the Porcupine which caused odd, streaky blurs in front of its face.<\/p>\n

I can’t figure out why a Porcupine was walking along the shoreline of the Great Salt Lake as there certainly wasn’t anything in its diet there.<\/p>\n

\"CloseClose up of a North American Porcupine – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/50, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 200mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Then I got back into the truck and rested my lens on my Noodle<\/a><\/span> to take some images that might be sharper because they weren’t handheld. I still only got a shutter speed of 1\/50 but a little more of the images were sharp. The Porcupine was too close most of the time to do anything other than take portraits of it.<\/p>\n

You can see some of the Brine Flies on the Porcupine’s fur in the upper left side of the frame.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Quill Pig ~ North American Porcupine – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/50, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 200mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The porcupine finally moved far enough away so that I could fit it and all of its quills into the frame. I’m not completely happy with these images because of the low light but they will do for now.<\/p>\n

Some day I won’t get stuck<\/em> with low light while photographing these amazing critters.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my North American Porcupine photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

See what happens when a Moose kisses a Porcupine here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

PS: Their nickname “Quill Pig” came from Middle French porc d’\u00e9pine\u00a0which translates to “thorny pork”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I spot a North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) and all I have is low light. So what do I do?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,1022,1791,26],"tags":[4465,4005,519,4035,1792,1170,5101,1793,102,4032],"class_list":["post-6067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-davis-county-utah","category-north-american-porcupine","category-utah","tag-erethizon-dorsatum","tag-great-salt-lake","tag-nature","tag-nature-photography","tag-north-american-porcupine-2","tag-porcupine","tag-porcupines","tag-quill-pig-2","tag-wildlife","tag-wildlife-photography"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/north-american-porcupine-mia-mcpherson-4747.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1zR","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4136,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/01\/24\/wild-and-wonderful-antelope-island-state-park-the-wildlife\/","url_meta":{"origin":6067,"position":0},"title":"Wild and Wonderful – Antelope Island State Park – The Wildlife","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 24, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"This is part 2 of my three part series on Wild and Wonderful Antelope Island State Park and it covers some of the wildlife that can be found howling, grazing, buzzing and posing for my camera.","rel":"","context":"In "American Bison"","block_context":{"text":"American Bison","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/bison\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Pronghorn chasing off another buck, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pronghorn-buck-rut-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pronghorn-buck-rut-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pronghorn-buck-rut-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pronghorn-buck-rut-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-0604.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5868,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/08\/08\/why-a-moose-should-not-kiss-a-porcupine\/","url_meta":{"origin":6067,"position":1},"title":"Why a Moose Should Not Kiss A Porcupine","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Why would a Moose (Alces alces) kiss a Porcupine? I'm really not sure, perhaps this Moose cow was curious about a slow-moving Porcupine on the ground and got a touch too close.","rel":"","context":"In "Moose"","block_context":{"text":"Moose","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/moose\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Moose with Porcupine quills in her muzzle, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/moose-cow-porcupine-quills-mia-mcpherson-6903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/moose-cow-porcupine-quills-mia-mcpherson-6903.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/moose-cow-porcupine-quills-mia-mcpherson-6903.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/moose-cow-porcupine-quills-mia-mcpherson-6903.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15483,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/27\/posts-from-the-past-wildlife\/","url_meta":{"origin":6067,"position":2},"title":"Posts from the Past – Wildlife","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Today I am focusing on older posts that have wildlife in them starting with Loggerhead Turtles then going to a Moose, a Midget Faded Rattlesnake and Red Fox kits.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Red Fox kits, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-fox-kit-pair-mia-mcpherson-1192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-fox-kit-pair-mia-mcpherson-1192.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-fox-kit-pair-mia-mcpherson-1192.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/red-fox-kit-pair-mia-mcpherson-1192.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6313,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/10\/10\/american-coots-on-thin-ice\/","url_meta":{"origin":6067,"position":3},"title":"American Coots on Thin Ice","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The temps are dropping here in the Salt Lake Valley, two days ago it was below freezing when we went out shooting. Winter brings challenges and birds we don't see during the summer so I am excited about that.","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Coot on slippery ice, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-ice-mia-mcpherson-1068.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-ice-mia-mcpherson-1068.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-ice-mia-mcpherson-1068.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/american-coot-ice-mia-mcpherson-1068.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6477,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/11\/01\/grazing-american-bison-bull\/","url_meta":{"origin":6067,"position":4},"title":"Grazing American Bison Bull","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 1, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday I had an opportunity to photograph this Bison bull grazing on Antelope Island State Park with the mountains of Promontory Point in the background with just a small bit of the Great Salt Lake showing too.","rel":"","context":"In "American Bison"","block_context":{"text":"American Bison","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/bison\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Bison bull grazing in front of Promontory Point, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/american-bison-promontory-point-mia-mcpherson-3253.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/american-bison-promontory-point-mia-mcpherson-3253.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/american-bison-promontory-point-mia-mcpherson-3253.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/american-bison-promontory-point-mia-mcpherson-3253.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3782,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/12\/01\/double-delight-and-an-observation-great-horned-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":6067,"position":5},"title":"Double Delight and an Observation – Great Horned Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 1, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm excited that two Great Horned Owls are using the same roosting location on Antelope Island.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl - November 11, 2011 on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah\u00a0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-nov-11-mia-mcpherson-8209.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-nov-11-mia-mcpherson-8209.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-nov-11-mia-mcpherson-8209.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/127356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}