Utah’s Hogle Zoo welcomes baby porcupine
North American porcupine gives birth to healthy baby on April 27
Utah’s Hogle Zoo is excited to announce the birth of a baby North American porcupine, also known as a porcupette, to mom Blackberry and dad Barton. The bundle of quills arrived on April 27, 2025, weighing just over 2 pounds. The porcupette is healthy and growing quickly, nursing and starting to eat solid foods.
Determining a porcupette’s gender can take time, and it may be several months—sometimes up to six—before our team is able to identify the gender of Blackberry’s little one.
Blackberry and Barton are at Hogle Zoo on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) North American porcupine Species Survival Plan (SSP). This birth is particularly special, as first-time porcupine moms often face a challenging start—about 40% of first births are stillborn.
Blackberry’s successful delivery and the care she’s showing as a new mom makes this milestone even more meaningful. The porcupette will stay by mom’s side for at least the next eight months before heading to another facility to serve as an ambassador for their species.
Porcupettes are born with soft quills that harden within a few hours. In their natural habitat, female porcupines typically give birth overnight and hide their babies under logs during the day while they forage, returning at night to nurse. Because young porcupines are vulnerable to predators like fishers (a member of the weasel family), owls, and bobcats, they’re born able to move easily and instinctively defend themselves by raising their quills and swinging their tails.
As the young one gets acclimated to their new environment, guests may be able to see mom and baby in Wild Utah. They may be in their indoor or outdoor habitats, depending on their needs. While the porcupette is still shy and tends to stay tucked away during the day while mom forages, porcupines develop quickly–baby will be climbing about the habitat soon!
About North American porcupines
Found throughout much of North America, from grasslands, desert shrub communities, and tundra environments, North American porcupines are known for their impressive coat of more than 30,000 sharp quills. Porcupines are expert climbers and often spend their time in trees, using their strong claws and specialized feet to navigate branches.
Conservation considerations
North American porcupines face challenges from habitat fragmentation, vehicle collisions, and human-wildlife conflict. Education and conservation efforts help ensure healthy, sustainable populations remain across their native range.
Follow us @HogleZoo for more Zoo Stories
Utah's Hogle Zoo
