Today's misconception is on the strange, adorable little spiky things known as the porcupine. How many of you guys thought that the cartoon was accurate in depicting the prickly animals as they shot out their quills as a defense mechanism in the presence of danger??
Well, even if you are pleading the 5th...the answer is that porcupines actually cannot "shoot" out their quills at all! When danger is near, the animal will raise its spikes to deter predators and the quills will detach easily onto anything it touches...which is why many animals and people walk away from an encounter with quills stuck on their bodies.
So there you have it...the breaking of the misconception behind porcupines. Next time you see one, you'll know that it can't shoot those crazy spikes at you...but make sure to wear proper gear before approaching it! To read more about porcupines, click here.
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