http://www.word-detective.com/2010/03/urchin/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.word-detective.com/2010/03/urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-2605 Yael Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:34:48 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=2483#comment-2605 Robin: That actually depends on the type of porcupine. The American ones have barbed quills, but the ones around here (Israel, but if I'm not mistaken they're all over the Mid.East and Europe) - who are actually the ones that probably started the quill-shooting myth - have nice smooth quills. But the second part is still true: they detach quite easily, and a careless predator might very well end up with a facefull of pain. Robin:
That actually depends on the type of porcupine. The American ones have barbed quills, but the ones around here (Israel, but if I’m not mistaken they’re all over the Mid.East and Europe) – who are actually the ones that probably started the quill-shooting myth – have nice smooth quills. But the second part is still true: they detach quite easily, and a careless predator might very well end up with a facefull of pain.

]]> http://www.word-detective.com/2010/03/urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-2580 Robin Craig Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:55:26 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=2483#comment-2580 While your many zoological critics are right in that porcupines don't shoot their spines at anyone, your comment contrasting that to hedgehogs isn't so far off the mark. Porcupine quills are barbed and easily shed, so any predator foolish enough to get too close is likely to end up with a nose full of hard to remove needles. Hedgehogs, in contrast, have smooth spines that do not easily pull out, so while you'd get jabbed, you wouldn't come away looking like a pincushion. While your many zoological critics are right in that porcupines don’t shoot their spines at anyone, your comment contrasting that to hedgehogs isn’t so far off the mark. Porcupine quills are barbed and easily shed, so any predator foolish enough to get too close is likely to end up with a nose full of hard to remove needles. Hedgehogs, in contrast, have smooth spines that do not easily pull out, so while you’d get jabbed, you wouldn’t come away looking like a pincushion.

]]> http://www.word-detective.com/2010/03/urchin/comment-page-1/#comment-2579 Linda Campbell Sat, 29 Aug 2009 22:53:47 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=2483#comment-2579 (2nd try)As another animal lover, I just want to extend my sympathies to you for having to bear the horror of Advantage poisoning. I appreciate hearing about the major role your cats play in your life; I have laughed out loud at some of your descriptions of what they may be thinking/feeling, etc. I am so sorry you lost Fifi. Hope the others pull through. -LC (2nd try)As another animal lover, I just want to extend my sympathies to you for having to bear the horror of Advantage poisoning. I appreciate hearing about the major role your cats play in your life; I have laughed out loud at some of your descriptions of what they may be thinking/feeling, etc. I am so sorry you lost Fifi. Hope the others pull through. -LC

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