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Porcupines by State 2024

Porcupines by State 2024

There are plenty of states that are scattered across the country that are home to porcupines. In general, this is an animal that can be found throughout most of Canada, but it is also common in the United States. There are even some species that can be found as far south as Mexico. Some of the states that have a lot of porcupines include New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and the vast majority of states in the New England area. As long as you keep your eyes open, you should be able to find them in some of the cool, moist areas of the United States.

There are fourteen states that do not have porcupines. In Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, you won’t see a porcupine. In other states, sightings of porcupines may be rare or only occur in specific parts of the state.

Can You Have a Porcupine as a Pet?

There are a lot of people who are wondering if they can keep this animal as a pet. Keep in mind that the laws regarding different types of pets can vary significantly from state to state, so you need to take a look at the regulations in your area to make sure you are allowed to have a porcupine before you go out and buy one.

The good news is that most states will allow you to have one as a pet, but that does not necessarily mean that you want to have one. Porcupines are relatively easygoing, but they are not necessarily animals that are going to cuddle with you in your bed. Keep in mind that they do not necessarily have hair, but instead have spikes, which means that they will hurt you if you try to hug them.

What Does a Porcupine Eat?

If you are interested in keeping one of these animals, as a pet, you need to make sure you have the ability to feed them. What types of foods do porcupines eat? They can eat a variety of plants, as they are chiefly foragers. In the wild, they can be found feeding on the bark of different types of trees. Some of the most common species of bark they eat include hemlock, birch, beech, pine, aspen, elm, oak, willow, spruce, and fir. In addition, they like to eat various types of wildflowers and acorns. These animals also like to munch on roots and seeds. You need to make sure that your pet porcupine has enough to eat, so make sure you talk to an expert who can help you before you decide to take one home.

Porcupines by State 2024

50 Rows

State
Porcupines Present
Hunting Laws
Specific Habitat Range
AlaskaYesPermitted w licenseThroughout all of Alaska except the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak, Nunivak, and St. Lawrence island
ArizonaYesHunting prohibitedMost common in Northern Arizona
ArkansasYesPermitted w licenseFrom woodlands and forests to rocky cliff
CaliforniaYesPermittedMost common in montane conifer and wet meadow habitats, and can be found in the Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, southern Cascades, Modoc Plateau, Sierra Nevada, and Transverse Ranges
ColoradoYesPermitted if porcupine is damaging crops, property, or livestockThroughout Colorado in wooded and brushy habitats but probably are most common in woodlands of ponderosa or pinyon pine
ConnecticutYesPermittedForest areas; Northwest corner; most common in northern Litchfield County
GeorgiaYesPermitted w licenseThroughout Georgia - mountainous and hilly regions
IdahoYesPermitted w licenseThroughout the state
KansasYesPermitted w licenseThroughout Kansas except outheastern portion of the state
KentuckyYesPermitted w licenseThroughout the state
MaineYesPermittedStatewide in hardwood/hemlock forests
MarylandYesPermitted w licenseWestern part of the state (Allegany, Garrett, Washington and Frederick)
MassachusettsYesPermitted w licenseWestern and central parts of the state and occasionally observed in Middlesex County
MichiganYesPermitted w licenseStatewide in forests areas
MinnesotaYesPermittedThroughout the state excluding the southwestern region of the state
MissouriYesPermittedPorcupines are not native to Missouri and have only been documented a few times in the state.
MontanaYesPermittedThroughout the state
NebraskaYesPermitted w licenseStatewide in forests areas
NevadaYesPermitted w licenseDispersed across the state, besides in Nevada's most southern deserts
New HampshireYesPermittedThroughout the state in coniferous and mixed forested areas
New JerseyYesPermitted w licenseNorthern part of the state
New MexicoYesPermittedThroughout the state
New YorkYesPermittedUpstate New York, most common in Finger Lakes
North DakotaYesPermittedEastern part of the state
OhioYesPermittedOccasional sightings in Northeast Ohio
OklahomaYesPermitted w licenseThroughout the state (mostly northwest)
OregonYesPermittedThroughout most of the state east of the Cascade Range
PennsylvaniaYesPermitted w licenseThroughout the state (in areas of extensive forests)
Rhode IslandYesPermitted if approved by Dept. of Environmental ManagementRare
South DakotaYesPermitted w licenseWestern half of the state
TexasYesPermitted w licenseWestern half of Texas, including the Panhandle
UtahYesHunting prohibitedThroughout the state ( wetlands, deserts, and shrub-land habitats)
VermontYesPermittedThroughout the state
WashingtonYesPermittedForested areas or brushy wetlands throughout the state
WisconsinYesPermittedNorthern half of the state
WyomingYesPermitted w licenseThroughout the state
AlabamaNo
DelawareNo
FloridaNo
HawaiiNo
IllinoisNo
IndianaNo
IowaNo
LouisianaNo
MississippiNo
North CarolinaNo
South CarolinaNo
TennesseeNo
VirginiaNo
West VirginiaNo

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