1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,800 Speaker 1: It was a dark and stormy night just like this one. 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,560 Speaker 1: Exactly four years ago today minus four days that we 3 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: released the porcupine episode. Oh sorry, Halloween's almost upon us, 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: and I guess the spirit of the season got in me. 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: At any rate. Here's our porcupine episode. We're proud of 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: all of our animal episodes, but this one in particular 7 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,800 Speaker 1: really takes the cake. So enjoy it with some cake. 8 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 2: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know, a production of iHeartRadio. 9 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, and 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: there's Charles w Chuck Bryan over there, and this is 11 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: stuff you should know about porcupines, which this is a 12 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: great idea. Chuck, good job. 13 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 2: You know, the pine when you take away all those quills, 14 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 2: is just a cute little guinea pig. 15 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: Basically a giant one. 16 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, a cute big guinea pig. 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: Speaking of cute porcupines, Dude, do you remember Teddy Bear 18 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: the porcupine kind of went a little viral a few 19 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: years ago. No, you have to watch Teddy Bear the Porcupine, 20 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,959 Speaker 1: specifically Teddy Bear the Porcupine doesn't like to share on YouTube, 21 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: and it is this porcupine eating corn on the cob 22 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: and making all these sounds like cousin it and it 23 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: is one of the cutest things I've ever seen in 24 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: my entire life. 25 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, we want to shout out Live Science, Smithsonian, Mental Floss, 26 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: the San Diego Zoo, and a couple of other websites 27 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: that I coupled together this wonderful bit on one of 28 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 2: our wonderful animal friends in the world. We'd love to 29 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: do these shows. It just made me think, have you 30 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: seen the octopus documentary thing yet? 31 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,920 Speaker 1: No? I haven't. I've been like kind of popping up 32 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: in my in my periphery, but I don't really know 33 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: what it is. Is it just about OCTOPI. 34 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 2: Well, it's it's called My Octopus Teacher. I haven't seen 35 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,240 Speaker 2: it yet, but I just know that the dealer, this 36 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 2: guy kind of gets to know one octopus and that's right. 37 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 2: You know, A nice story ensues, is all I know. 38 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: That's neat. We'll have to watch that. 39 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, I can't. I can't wait. But and I mentioned 40 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 2: that because you know, we've long said that the octopus 41 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 2: is our favorite animal. But I feel like almost every 42 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: time we've done one on an animal, it's on something 43 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 2: that we love, and boy do I love the quill pig. 44 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: I do too. Yeah, apparently that's what the their Latin 45 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: name means, quill pig. 46 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 2: I love that. 47 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: That's great, That is fantastic. And it turns out, Chuck, 48 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:56,079 Speaker 1: that there are basically two groups that porcupines get lumped into. 49 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: There's a bunch of different GENI yeah, that's right, and speace. 50 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: But they basically fall under two categories. It's Old World, 51 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: which is Europe, Africa, Asia, and the New World, which 52 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:13,639 Speaker 1: is North, South, and Central America. And if you saw 53 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: a you know, porcupine in South America and you saw 54 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: one in you know, the Himalayas, you probably would be like, 55 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: that's porcupine. That's porcupine too. They're not radically different like 56 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 1: some Old World and New World's animals are. 57 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. But something I saw that was interesting was that 58 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 2: they evolved separately what one of those what is it 59 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 2: called co evolutions or whatever. 60 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: No, I didn't see that. That's that is crazy. 61 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 2: I saw that, and I only saw it in one place, so. 62 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: I think that might have been a personal hypothesis of 63 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: somebody who got them, maybe website. 64 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 2: I saw it somewhere though, and then that the two 65 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 2: actually the Old World in the New World have less 66 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 2: in common then they do individually with like some other 67 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 2: rodents in their area. 68 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I'm actually not surprised to hear that. But 69 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: the one thing that they do have in common across 70 00:04:12,480 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: the board is that they have quills, and that they 71 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: use their quills defensively. Now what their quills look like, 72 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: how they use their quills. There's a lot of other 73 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: distinctions and differences between Old World and New World, but 74 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: they all have quills. They're all porcupines. That seems to 75 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: be the thing that binds them. It's the tie that 76 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: binds that family. 77 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, And it's just it's easy to take the porcupine 78 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: for granted, I think, and just say, yeah, the little 79 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 2: animal with all those quills. But when you take a 80 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 2: step back and look at it and think about the 81 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 2: evolution of the porcupine that, like I said, it sort 82 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 2: of would be a very large, sort of cute, little 83 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,159 Speaker 2: fluffy guinea pig, but it probably got eaten a lot. 84 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,479 Speaker 2: And then you know, they said nuts to this nature 85 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 2: steps in It is like, all right, how about this. 86 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 2: What if we were just animal pincushions such that if 87 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: you came anywhere near us, you would be stabbed repeatedly 88 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 2: if you tried to eat us, Like, It's one of 89 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,040 Speaker 2: the most amazing evolutionary adaptations I've ever seen. 90 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I mean they can really use those things too. 91 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: There's a long standing myth that they can shoot them, 92 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: which is not true, but apparently even Aristotle fell for 93 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: that one, and what a dummy. But they can use 94 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: them in some pretty interesting ways. And you hit the 95 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: nail on the head when you said, you know, step 96 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: back if you see a porcupine. That is good advice. 97 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 1: You should probably step back because depending on the species 98 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 1: or whether it's an Old world or New world, those 99 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: quills can mess you up pretty good. 100 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 2: Yeah. But also you know, get nearby and take a look, 101 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 2: like they're not going to come after you. The porcupine 102 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 2: is a very kind hearted animal. Yeah, and those are 103 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,440 Speaker 2: one hundred percent for defense. A porcupine is never going 104 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 2: to charge you, and you know, leap at your belly 105 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 2: to put quills all in your stomach. So take a 106 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 2: little look, admire it for what it is. I think, 107 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 2: you know, to talk about porcupines, a lot of this 108 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 2: is talking about the old world versus the rush version. 109 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. So the big differences that I saw and there's 110 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: lots of differences between different species within each of these groups, 111 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: but the Old World versus New World have some big 112 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: differences between them, and one of them is that Old 113 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: World are typically terrestrial porcupines. They spend most of their 114 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: lives on the ground. They live in burrows or caves 115 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: or rock dens, and New World porcupines they live on 116 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,559 Speaker 1: the ground too, they live in burrows, but they're also 117 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: very capable of climbing trees, and they'll spend a significant 118 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: amount of time and sometimes nests in trees. And there 119 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: are some species that spend virtually their whole lies in trees, 120 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: almost like sloths. 121 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:07,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, quill wise, the New World porcupines quills are going 122 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 2: to be shorter and smaller in general. I think they're 123 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 2: about four to ten four inches ten centimeters. The Old 124 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 2: World dudes and ladies they can get very long. They 125 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,840 Speaker 2: can have quills up to twenty inches long. They can 126 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 2: be marked with black and white bands. And what they 127 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 2: can do is these Old World guys can puff them 128 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 2: up so they stand up and are more intimidating and look. Also, 129 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 2: I mean it's weird because it's like multifold, like four 130 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 2: or five different things they do. By doing this, they 131 00:07:40,040 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 2: look larger, so that's always something that vulnerable animals try 132 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 2: to do in the wild. They look like a skunk 133 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 2: a little bit because of the black and white marking 134 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 2: down their back. 135 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: They actually have a defensive musk kind of like a skunk, 136 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: which is not nearly as bad. 137 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, so they try to imitate a skunk a little bit. 138 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: They look bigger, They rattle, They can shake those things 139 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 2: and rattle them, which is another great adaptation to say 140 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 2: like get away from me, don't try and eat me. 141 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: And supposedly that works pretty well too. 142 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, totally. And then if all else fails, they are stabby. 143 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: They are stabby. So sometimes the old world ones will 144 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: actually charge backwards toward a predator if they're feeling like 145 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: they want to stand their ground, and that's usually when 146 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: they're caught out in the open. If they have a 147 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: place to hide, they'll stick their head in that place 148 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: to hide and then puff out their quills and make 149 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: themselves hard to get at. But if they're out in 150 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: the open, they may decide that they're going to fight 151 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 1: off this predator and they'll charge backward. And one other 152 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: adaptation I saw, which I thought was awesome. They'll have 153 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: the predator chase it, and then they'll stop all of 154 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: a sudden, and the predator will run into them in 155 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: their quills for real. 156 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 2: And then you hear the sound effect. 157 00:08:57,440 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, and then it's too late. 158 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, it's interesting because those quills, even though 159 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:06,160 Speaker 2: they puff them out, they are pointed generally in the 160 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 2: reverse direction, right, which you know, which is why they 161 00:09:09,679 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 2: have to back up into something to quill them or 162 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 2: like you said, bury them, just throwing that parking break 163 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,720 Speaker 2: real quick, and all of a sudden, that fox has 164 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 2: got a face full of quill, right. 165 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: So that Old World contains a couple of species that 166 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: are called crested porcupines, and they basically look like if 167 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: the quills were like an umbrella. It opens at the 168 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: back of their head, yeah, and just kind of sticks 169 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:38,560 Speaker 1: out like that, and like you said, it makes them 170 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:42,079 Speaker 1: look a lot bigger. They're a lot more dangerous. The 171 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: big difference with quills between the Old World and the 172 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 1: New World, in addition to being shorter, is Old World 173 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,880 Speaker 1: porcupines are covered in quills. That's all they have. They're 174 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: like they have like I don't know if we said 175 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: or not, but quills are just modified hair. They're made 176 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,079 Speaker 1: a carratin. They're just like hair. They're just way stabbier 177 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: than hair that you and I have. 178 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 2: Well, it's like hair Mead's fingernails basically. 179 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great way to put it. And Old 180 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,360 Speaker 1: World porcupines, that's all they have are quills. New World 181 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: porcupines have quills that are also mixed in with fur 182 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: like an undercoat, longer hairs, and their quills kind of 183 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: stand up and are used for defense. That's not just 184 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:26,719 Speaker 1: it's not all that they have. And the other thing 185 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: about their quills is that they have little barbs, and 186 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: New World porcupines barbs make their New World quills way 187 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: more dangerous than Old World quills. 188 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like little fish hook basically, and it'll instead 189 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 2: of just poking right into you, it'll actually snag in 190 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: your flesh and makes it, like you said, way way 191 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 2: tougher to get out, a much harder time removing a 192 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 2: New World quill than an Old World quill. Right, But 193 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:59,679 Speaker 2: those New World guys are because their quills start further back. 194 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 2: You get the feeling if you just and I wouldn't 195 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 2: recommend this, but if you just go very gently and 196 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 2: just say, hey, little guy, no do that. I just 197 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 2: I just want to give you a stretch under the 198 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:13,839 Speaker 2: under the chin, and I think you might enjoy it. 199 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 2: And I'm gonna move very slowly. Just don't turn around, 200 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 2: and you'll you'll have a really good time. 201 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,200 Speaker 1: I'd like to include a disclaimer here, don't do it. 202 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 1: You guys should not listen to Chuck right now. He's 203 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: doling out some really terrible advice. 204 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just because those quills start further back. They 205 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,240 Speaker 2: got that cute little head and face, and it just 206 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 2: makes you want to give him a scritch. 207 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, totally. Like if you watch Teddy Teddy Bear 208 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 1: videos Teddy Bear the Porcupine, you will want to go 209 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 1: get one as a pet. There's another one I saw 210 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: called Diva, and she's a baby porcupine. She's adorable. Yeah, 211 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 1: you totally want to do that, and I'm sure there 212 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: are ways to handle them. But I also saw, you know, 213 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:57,079 Speaker 1: one of those zoo guys on a late night talk 214 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 1: show and he had I think an African crested porcupine 215 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:03,319 Speaker 1: on his lap and that thing was not at all 216 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 1: worried or scared or in any sort of defense mode. 217 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: And that dude was in pain just letting this thing 218 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: sit on his lap because I don't know. You said, 219 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: you know, they look like guinea pigs, and I said, 220 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,840 Speaker 1: overgrown guinea pigs. Some of these things can get really big. 221 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: There's a cape porcupine. I think it's the biggest one. 222 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: They get up to like sixty five pounds. Sixty five pounds, 223 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: it's like a large dog. Yeah, and with quills though, uh, 224 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 1: with the quills puffed up, No, like they're sixty five 225 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:36,079 Speaker 1: pounds year round. And then but imagine a sixty five 226 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 1: pound dog with those quills. That's dangerous. 227 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, what I meant. I know they don't actually weigh 228 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 2: more when they puff up, but they can. When they 229 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,000 Speaker 2: puff those quills out, they can look two to three 230 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 2: times their size. So right, yeah, yeah, I imagine that 231 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 2: thing looks enormous. And actually I don't do this much, 232 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 2: but I'm watching that thing eat that corn on the 233 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 2: cop right now. 234 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:56,239 Speaker 1: Isn't that adorable? 235 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 2: Yeah? I have to have the sound down, so I'm 236 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 2: gonna go back and watch it. 237 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:01,120 Speaker 1: You have to hear this, like the sound does it? 238 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 1: But even without the sound, he's just awfully cute. Huh. 239 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, it kind of They kind of look like Beaver's 240 00:13:06,679 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 2: a little bit too, and they are related as fellow rodents. Here. 241 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 2: I think we should take a break. I'm getting kind 242 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 2: of worked up here, and we'll come back and talk 243 00:13:17,760 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 2: more about these cute little stabby suckers right after this. 244 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:43,280 Speaker 1: Okay, Charles, we're back, and we've been talking mostly about quills. 245 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, so one more thing about quills, and there's gonna 246 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 2: be more than one more thing about quills, let's be honest. 247 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,800 Speaker 2: But we said they couldn't shoot him. What they can do? 248 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:54,880 Speaker 2: These things do fall out just like hair, and they 249 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 2: grow just like fingernails and will eventually fall so when 250 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:01,719 Speaker 2: they shake, they if they have loose quills, they can 251 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 2: fly off. But they're still not like shooting, like Aristotle said, 252 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:08,120 Speaker 2: like deadly needle darts. 253 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,319 Speaker 1: No, but they can be problematic, like these things can 254 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: puncture the sidewalls of tires. I was reading the blog 255 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: of some tire company ka L Tires, I think up 256 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: in the Yukon, and they said that it's actually it 257 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 1: can be a problem if you run over one, like 258 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: on some roads. Yeah that if you're out in the 259 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: middle of nowhere and you run over a porcupine quill 260 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,360 Speaker 1: you're you're probably going to get a flat that's how 261 00:14:33,400 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: tough those things are. 262 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 2: Well, that's sad. 263 00:14:37,760 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: What for your tire? No for the afternoon? Well, no, 264 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: you're not running over Are you still watching Teddy Bear videos? 265 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 2: No? I thought you said if you run over a porcupine, 266 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 2: it can porcupine quill? Oh well, I mean what is it? 267 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 2: Just a loose quill on the road. 268 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, That's what I'm saying. Like, just a loose 269 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: quill laying on the road. If you run over it 270 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 1: goes into your sidewall, You're probably going to get a 271 00:14:57,680 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: flat tire. That's how tough those things are. 272 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 2: Okay, I thought you. And if you actually run over 273 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 2: a porcupine and you have like a bunch of quills, that. 274 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: Would probably do it too, especially if the porcupine was 275 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: in a defensive procedure. But the porcupine doesn't have to 276 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: die in this case for you to give a flat tire. 277 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 2: So regardless of that sadness they there is sadness in that, 278 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 2: despite this great adaptation and this great defense mechanism, they 279 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:27,120 Speaker 2: still can be hunted. Lions can still hunt them human people. 280 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 2: There's the bush meat trade for the Old World porcupines 281 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 2: that is, you know, just you know what that means, 282 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 2: and they're you know, there are owls, wolverines, pythons. There's 283 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 2: something called a fissure that looks sort of like a weasel, bear, 284 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 2: fox or something. Did you look that thing up? 285 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's related to otters and weasels. 286 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 2: Okay, but it had a little sort of a bear face. 287 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: It was interesting. 288 00:15:52,680 --> 00:15:54,120 Speaker 1: But apparently stink too. 289 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 2: Well. They stink in more ways than one because they 290 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 2: learned to flip these porcupines over where they had that 291 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 2: soft belly meat and no quills as a way to 292 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:05,360 Speaker 2: attack them, which really makes me mad. 293 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't. I don't like fishes for that reason either. 294 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 1: I'd never heard of them until recently, until we started 295 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 1: researching this, I had neither. I don't like them. No, 296 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: I just don't like them. Eat something else, Yeah, leave 297 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,640 Speaker 1: the porcupines alone, because they're actually pretty nice. 298 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they don't eat what do they eat? They 299 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 2: eat vegetables and fruits and berries and nuts and tubers 300 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:27,600 Speaker 2: and roots. 301 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, so they eat all those things. They'll also eat crops, 302 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: which is Porcupines are considered a nuisance, especially if you're 303 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: a farmer or even a gardener in the suburbs, because 304 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: they will eat your root vegetables. They will eat corn, 305 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: love corn, apparently. But they'll also they have another thing too, 306 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: where they need sodium in their diet. They acted they 307 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: need a pretty even ratio of one to one of 308 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: potassium to sodium for their electrical conductivity in their body 309 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,199 Speaker 1: to work. But they don't give much sodium in their diet. 310 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,399 Speaker 1: Plants have lots of potassium, not much sodium, so they 311 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: have to go find it elsewhere. And it turns out 312 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:16,080 Speaker 1: we humans have a lot of stuff that has sodium 313 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,440 Speaker 1: in it. Apparently plywood glue contains a lot of sodium, 314 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 1: so they love eating wood. Structures we build out of plywood. 315 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: The salt that we put on the roads gets kicked 316 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 1: up on the underside of our car, so you might 317 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: find a porcupine chewing on the tires or the hoses 318 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,280 Speaker 1: or belts or wires under your car. 319 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, what else that they would even because the humans 320 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 2: sweat so much salt when they're working that they'll go Like, 321 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:49,640 Speaker 2: if you have some wooden pruners in your shed, they'll 322 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 2: go in there and they'll start eating the handle of 323 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,640 Speaker 2: your pruners because it just has residual human salt left 324 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 2: over on it. 325 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: Right, you just walk in, You're like, are you nuts? 326 00:17:57,800 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: What is wrong with you? You? 327 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 2: Porcupine just set up a salt like for those fellas. 328 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, well they'll find anywhere they can find a natural salt, like, 329 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:07,920 Speaker 1: they'll definitely eat that too. But yes, anything that has 330 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: human sweat on, even trace amounts of human sweat, they'll 331 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: go bonkers. Like they eat oars, paddles, that kind of stuff. 332 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: But yes, typically they eat leaves, stems, they eat shoots 333 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:26,640 Speaker 1: and leaves. They also, though, and this is another reason 334 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 1: why they're considered a nuisance, they eat the bark off 335 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: of the tree. So they're considered generalists. They'll eat just 336 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,400 Speaker 1: about any kind of vegetation, which is actually and they're 337 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: also super adaptable, which is why you'll find porcupines almost 338 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: anywhere there's vegetation. But they'll that's what they eat, you know, 339 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:47,960 Speaker 1: in spring, summer, fall, and then in winter. They don't hibernate, 340 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: which actually makes them kind of unusual as well. But 341 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: they go from being generalists to what's known as faculative specialists, 342 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: meaning their diet becomes very limited to just one or 343 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:04,959 Speaker 1: two types of trees. And not just one or two 344 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,919 Speaker 1: types of trees. During the winter, they may just feed 345 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 1: on the inner bark of one tree, and that can 346 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 1: be problematic because the inner bark is where nutrients and 347 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:17,160 Speaker 1: water moves from the roots to the rest of the tree. 348 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,960 Speaker 1: And if that porcupine eats all the way around it, 349 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: what's called girdling a tree, it can kill or seriously 350 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: damage that tree. 351 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 2: Yeah. So I I mean, if you have a problem, 352 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 2: if you live in the woods and stuff and you 353 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 2: see a tree, it could be a beaver, but either way, 354 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 2: you kind of handle it the same. You can wrap 355 00:19:35,119 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 2: like chicken wire around it around the bottom, or some 356 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 2: sort of aluminum or something sheeting to keep the beaver 357 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:45,320 Speaker 2: and or porcupine from non on that thing. 358 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I would guess you'd want to wear work 359 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,640 Speaker 1: gloves because the salt from the sweat and your hands 360 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,920 Speaker 1: is just going to attract them to that chicken wire. 361 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, they eat. They're nocturnal, so they're mainly doing this 362 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 2: stuff at night. They're patrolling around, they're defending their areas 363 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 2: that they feed. 364 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 1: I saw both. I saw that they're territorial. I saw 365 00:20:05,760 --> 00:20:07,400 Speaker 1: that they're also not territorial. 366 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, it probably depends with you know, so many different species, 367 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 2: because they will travel outside their home range if they 368 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 2: want to get a mate or if they need that salt. 369 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: They're usually they're fairly solo flyers, although sometimes you'll see 370 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 2: a couple of them. They may be mated, they may 371 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 2: be siblings. I don't think we mentioned that the Old 372 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:34,440 Speaker 2: World porcupines are actually really good swimmers. 373 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: Both of them are, from what I understand. 374 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 2: Oh really m hmm, okay. 375 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, and New World will actually go swim out to 376 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: gather aquatic plants. They swim more than the Old World does. 377 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 1: But they just swim to collect plants and then they 378 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: bring it back to the shore to eat. 379 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:54,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, and they're they're living in they don't. They'll like 380 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 2: sleep in trees sometimes the climbers will, but it seems 381 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 2: like they make use of other animals dens when they're 382 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 2: not around and they have left, Like they'll go to 383 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:07,440 Speaker 2: an ardvark den that has been abandoned or a hole 384 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 2: and they will change it around, maybe knock down some walls, 385 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 2: open up that floor plan. Yeah, so to island in 386 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,480 Speaker 2: the kitchen, Yeah, of course, gotta have the big island. Sure, 387 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,720 Speaker 2: And then you know they'll just adapt it to their 388 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 2: needs because obviously they're a little puffier than the ardvark. 389 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, and in doing so, Chuck, a question that I 390 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 1: kept running up against was what role did porcupines play 391 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: in the ecosystem? And they think that one of the 392 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: big roles they play is by basically disturbing stuff. They 393 00:21:37,720 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: disturb the soil when they're digging and burrowing and everything 394 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 1: so interesting. And they found that they the through that 395 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:50,000 Speaker 1: they propagate way more seeds than would otherwise be propagated 396 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: if they weren't around. So forests are much more diverse 397 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:56,480 Speaker 1: with them in it than without them because of all 398 00:21:56,480 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: of their scratching and moving and all that stuff. 399 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, and it seems like for rodents they live a 400 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 2: long time. They can live in the wild. I mean, 401 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 2: I sort of saw a wild range anywhere from I 402 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 2: did two three to five years in the wild to 403 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,440 Speaker 2: like ten years in the wild. I saw one that 404 00:22:15,520 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 2: lived to be eighteen. I saw the record was twenty five, 405 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 2: which I think was second only to a beaver as 406 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 2: far as the rodent record. I think there was a 407 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:25,760 Speaker 2: twenty eight year old beaver. 408 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: Once I saw one in Brazil was can live up 409 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: to twenty seven years in captivity. Oh wow, yeah, so 410 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,160 Speaker 1: that's I mean, that's long lived. But yeah, I saw 411 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 1: three to five years too. I guess it just depends 412 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: on the species, you know. 413 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 2: Yeah. And the other thing about their feeding habits is 414 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 2: they eat seasonally. They're little hipsters. They eat seasonally and locally, 415 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 2: So depending on what's there, they will I think in 416 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:57,280 Speaker 2: the winter they'll eat more evergreen needles and the like 417 00:22:57,320 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 2: sort of the inner bark of the trees and stuff 418 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 2: like that. And then you know, when those sweet berries 419 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 2: come around or when that corn crop is coming in, 420 00:23:05,359 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 2: just look. 421 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 1: Out, then they turn back into generalists. 422 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:09,040 Speaker 2: That's right. 423 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: So I feel like we cannot go any further, can't 424 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:22,239 Speaker 1: dance around the fact that porcupines copulate, and when they 425 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: do copulate, they produce offspring, and we should talk about that. 426 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, should we break or should we do this and 427 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 2: then break? 428 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: I feel like we're gonna need to take a break 429 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: after this. Okay. 430 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,160 Speaker 2: So porcupines have stabby quills. 431 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,919 Speaker 1: That's that point backwards. 432 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 2: That's right. And if you know how a rodent and 433 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:47,920 Speaker 2: a mammal like this would have sex, it is from 434 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 2: something a male approaching the female from the rear right 435 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 2: where those things are pointing, and so you think, how 436 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 2: do they do this? What happens is the males are 437 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 2: gonna they're gonna vie for the female. Like so many animals, 438 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 2: they have these sort of noisy battles, and they whine 439 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:09,480 Speaker 2: and they stomp when they win and stomp their tail 440 00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 2: and try to impress the lady, puff their quills out. 441 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 2: And if the lady says, all right, I think you 442 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 2: might be a good match for me, what does he do? 443 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: He sprays urine all over her. That's right, and she goes, 444 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,840 Speaker 1: She goes, that was wonderful. Let's go, big boy. 445 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:33,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm gonna put I'm gonna lay down my quills. 446 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and move the tail to the side. 447 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 2: It's business time, right, Yeah, because the jail is barbed. 448 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 2: I don't think we said that either. 449 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:44,439 Speaker 1: No, but like all the quills are barbed, right. 450 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 2: Well, no, I think the actual tail is barbed. 451 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: Oh, good lord as well. 452 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,479 Speaker 2: Which can help with the climbing and stuff. 453 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: Right, So I think it would take being sprayed with 454 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: your end. You would want to reach that level of 455 00:24:57,320 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 1: commitment to make sure that you could trust that that 456 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 1: barbed is going to be kept to the side. Will 457 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: we really are we in, right, and then yes, that 458 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: that definitely says yes, you're in. You're in. Get it. Yep, 459 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: I told you we would need a break. Let's take one, 460 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:13,480 Speaker 1: shall we. 461 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 2: All right, and we'll talk about uh, we'll talk about 462 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 2: porcupets right after this. 463 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: So, Chuck, the porcupines have copulated. They were successful, and 464 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: the female has now just stated for two hundred and 465 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: five to two hundred and seventeen days. 466 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, and what did you say? 467 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 1: We're just born porcupets like he tte s. 468 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, not pets is in something you keep. But yeah, 469 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:57,840 Speaker 2: little porcupets. 470 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,400 Speaker 1: Like like the fifties singing group girl version of the. 471 00:26:01,359 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 2: Porcupines, Randy Porcupine and the porcupts right exactly. Yeah. And 472 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 2: here's where it got a little confusing, because I saw 473 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 2: different stuff depending on where I looked, and again it 474 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 2: maybe according to species. I saw that they rarely have 475 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 2: more than one at a time. I also saw that 476 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,359 Speaker 2: sometimes they have up to four, but let's just say 477 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:29,000 Speaker 2: between one and four per litter. And they stay with 478 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:33,680 Speaker 2: their their mommies for a little longer than what I found. 479 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 2: It says, and I think from the San Diego Zoo 480 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 2: just a few months. But I also saw anywhere from 481 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 2: twelve to twenty four months, and they at least need 482 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 2: that mother's milk for like six months. 483 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,399 Speaker 1: And I think it really depends on the species. Like 484 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:53,360 Speaker 1: I saw those the largest ones, the cape porcupine, they 485 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 1: actually stay in family units of a mom and a 486 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: dad in one to two kids. 487 00:26:57,520 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 2: Oh interesting, and the dad's usually out of there with 488 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 2: a porky right right. 489 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: So yeah, especially with North American porcupines, I feel like 490 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,480 Speaker 1: a lot because we're in America, A lot of the 491 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:10,119 Speaker 1: info we got was for North American porcupines and people 492 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: just called it porcupines, which required a lot more digging. 493 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 1: But I feel like with North American porcupines, it's like, hey, 494 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: good luck with the kids. And then the mom has 495 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:23,920 Speaker 1: the kid and it's like, hey, I'm weaning you. Good 496 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: luck with the rest of your life. And then they 497 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,639 Speaker 1: live this kind of solitary, happy existence, digging around and 498 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 1: eating tree bark. 499 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 2: Yeah. And if you think the porcupet as soft and 500 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 2: cute as you would imagine, you were correct. Those needle 501 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:42,800 Speaker 2: like quills start to stiffen up very quickly, but it 502 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,960 Speaker 2: takes it kind of starts three or four days later, 503 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,200 Speaker 2: and then I imagine takes a little while to reach 504 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 2: full you know, kind of hard quill version. 505 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. And I saw conflicting information too. I saw that 506 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: they were born precocious, where they had a full set 507 00:27:56,720 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: of teeth, their eyes were open, and then it just 508 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,080 Speaker 1: took a few hours for their quills to harden end 509 00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: of like adult quillage. That was even take two chuck, Yes, 510 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:10,520 Speaker 1: adult quillage. Thank you for that. 511 00:28:10,880 --> 00:28:13,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. Also their eyes were closed. 512 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 1: For a long time. Yeah. Yeah, So I don't know, 513 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: it's possible it's different species. It's also possible the San 514 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: Diego Zoo just got a bunch of stuff wrong. 515 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:26,679 Speaker 2: Well, that's always possible. Great zoo, I've been there. I 516 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 2: know we did an episode on zoos and whether or 517 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 2: not they were ethical, so you can go make up 518 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:31,040 Speaker 2: your own mind about that. 519 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:33,439 Speaker 1: But and then where Jack Hannah hailed from, wasn't he 520 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: a San Diego Zoo? 521 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 2: Guy, I feel like that's probably true. 522 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: Let's just say it is. 523 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 2: I got something else on these quills. They have an anti. 524 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: Wait a minute, I thought we were done with quillo. 525 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:47,479 Speaker 2: Said no, no, never done with quills. Okay, they have an 526 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:52,400 Speaker 2: antiseptic quality, apparently in case of self stavage. 527 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 1: That's awesome. I hadn't seen that actually, and I think 528 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: we should say too. Just one more thing about quills. 529 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: I'm breaking my own rules here because they're like modified hair. 530 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: They grow back when they're shed. They are constantly shedding 531 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: and growing quills. 532 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, and like I said, you should not approach one 533 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:14,680 Speaker 2: in the wild. But they make harry rabies. But other 534 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 2: than that, they don't really carry any other diseases, which 535 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:18,800 Speaker 2: we need. 536 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: To worry them. Yeah, Like if you wanted to love 537 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: porcupines anymore, there you go, Like you could snuggle one 538 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:27,640 Speaker 1: and you don't have to worry about any diseases. 539 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:30,360 Speaker 2: Yes, but don't eat them like they do. In some 540 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:33,600 Speaker 2: parts of the world they are in pretty good shape. 541 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 2: But they have been exterminated in certain parts of Africa 542 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 2: because they do eat root crops, so they're a nuisance pests, 543 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 2: so they get rid of them. People can collect you 544 00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 2: like that. They can collect the quills for ornamentation. And 545 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 2: I think there's a couple of them that are listed 546 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 2: as vulnerable and very sadly of course, because their habitat 547 00:29:58,080 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 2: is being lost. 548 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 1: Yes, bug. Globally, porcupines are under they're considered of least concern, 549 00:30:05,440 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: which itself is concerning because they're considered pests in a 550 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: lot of places, so they're eradicated. I think it was 551 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: the Maryland DNR that Do Not Resuscitate Agency said that 552 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: on their site that porcupines used to be in the 553 00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:28,240 Speaker 1: southeastern United States but they were eradicated. I didn't know that, 554 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: and I've never heard that, and I couldn't find it 555 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,160 Speaker 1: anywhere else. But I don't know why the DNR would 556 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: make that up. 557 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 2: I'm trying to think if I've ever seen one in 558 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 2: the wild. 559 00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: They do not live in the Southeast. But the Maryland 560 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: DNR is saying, like. 561 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 2: I've traveled all over the world. I'm not saying in 562 00:30:45,720 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 2: my backyard. 563 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: Oh, I got you. Well, we were talking about the Southeast. 564 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 1: You can imagine why I fell for that one. 565 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,400 Speaker 2: No, I'm just trying to think of I've seen one 566 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 2: like camping out west or anything. I know I've ever 567 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 2: seen one. 568 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: I never have. I would think you would definitely remember 569 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: seeing a porcupine in real life. 570 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 2: Probably armadillos everywhere, yeah. 571 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: Everywhere, And you know they carry Hanson's disease, so don't 572 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: get close to them. Porcupines don't carry any communicable diseases 573 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: that humans are concerned about, except rabies. Yeah, they can 574 00:31:16,560 --> 00:31:18,800 Speaker 1: be rabbid, but all mammals can be rabbid, you. 575 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 2: Know, So should we talk about what happens? You know, 576 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 2: if you just google porcupine and dog, you're gonna get 577 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 2: a lot of very sad pictures of curious dogs who 578 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 2: stuck their snout where they shouldn't and are barbed all 579 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:39,320 Speaker 2: over the nose and snout. Not good. 580 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: No, And there's a lot of things that you want 581 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: to do and don't want to do. Yeah, if that 582 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: happens to your dog, because it's actually really bad if 583 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:51,800 Speaker 1: that happens. So if your dog is if you ever 584 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: see a porcupine on a hike with your dog, get 585 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: your dog away from that porcupine, not just for the 586 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,800 Speaker 1: porcupine's sake, Like if a porcupine goes into a defensive 587 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: it's scared to death. It's not. It might seem all 588 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:06,040 Speaker 1: tough and angry. It's scared. That's why it's doing that, 589 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:09,959 Speaker 1: But also it could really mess your dog up. So 590 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: for at least your dog's sake, get your dog away 591 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:15,960 Speaker 1: from the porcupine. And if you fail to do that 592 00:32:16,040 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: quickly enough and your dog does take some quills in 593 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: its face and its neck wherever those things can because 594 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: especially in the New World porcupine that their quills have barbs, 595 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,440 Speaker 1: they can migrate further and further inward. They're not going 596 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: to work themselves out, they're going to actually work themselves in. 597 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: So you want to take your dog to a vet, 598 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: Like your dog gets quilled, you get in the car, 599 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: you go to the vet. That's the order of how 600 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 1: everything happens. You don't stop and get a double cheeseburger. 601 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: You don't like go home and like read the paper first, Like, 602 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:49,720 Speaker 1: you go straight to the vet because your dog's gonna 603 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: need to go under general anesthesia to have those things removed. 604 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: That's how bad of a jam it is. 605 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm actually going to amend that with your permission, 606 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 2: because what the first thing you should do, and hopefully 607 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 2: you're with someone else if you've got it. Really it 608 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 2: would be great if you have two people in on this, 609 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,280 Speaker 2: one one to drive and one to keep your dog 610 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 2: from messing with their face. Yeah, that's a big one, 611 00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 2: because they're gonna if there's quills poking in a dog's face, 612 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 2: they're gonna paw at it. They're going to try and 613 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 2: rub their nose on the ground, and that is bad, bad, bad, 614 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 2: bad bad, because those quills are just going to go 615 00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:30,239 Speaker 2: further and further in. So you really really need to 616 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 2: do your best to hold onto your dog, hold their 617 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 2: head up, and keep their paws away from their face. Uh. 618 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 2: And like you said, go straight to that vet, because 619 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 2: you don't try and remove them yourself, you're you're only 620 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,240 Speaker 2: going to make it worse. And that's like guaranteed. 621 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:49,360 Speaker 1: There's also supposedly a myth that if you clip the 622 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,880 Speaker 1: porcupine quill it deflates it and makes it easier to 623 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: come out. They don't. They're not inflated with air. No, 624 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:02,280 Speaker 1: so clipping it's not going to deflate any is that Aristotle? Yeah, 625 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: and it actually can make the quill shatter, because imagine 626 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:08,759 Speaker 1: like a really hard claw or something like that being 627 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: clipped with some scissors. It's going to shatter some and 628 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 1: if enough of a piece shutters far enough down, it 629 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: can reach the skin level. And then if it works 630 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,920 Speaker 1: its way in, all of a sudden, you just made 631 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,359 Speaker 1: it that much harder to get out because you just 632 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 1: added a new barb, which is that shattered jagged edge 633 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:28,520 Speaker 1: that used to be intact before you cut it like 634 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:29,239 Speaker 1: a knucklehead. 635 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean I could see the instinct if you 636 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 2: don't know what's going on, to be to clip them 637 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 2: because if they're really long and sticking out of their 638 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 2: face it looks terrible, or to try and just yank 639 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,640 Speaker 2: them out. But to do yeah, don't do either one 640 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:46,120 Speaker 2: of those things. Another big reason why is the risk 641 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:50,240 Speaker 2: of infection is really really big. I mean, they have multiple, 642 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:54,719 Speaker 2: multiple stab wounds essentially, and they, like you said, the 643 00:34:54,760 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 2: only solution is general anesthesia. I mean it's it's not surgery, 644 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 2: but it's not not surgery. 645 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,759 Speaker 1: No, and they you know, some of these may not 646 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 1: ever be able to come out, and your pets is 647 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: going to have a lifetime of being monitored to make 648 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,760 Speaker 1: sure they don't migrate toward a joint or an organ 649 00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: or the back of their eye who knows, or depending 650 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:19,080 Speaker 1: on where they got stabbed with a quill. So I 651 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 1: think it was the ASPCA that said the best way 652 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: to deal with this is to prevent it from ever happening. 653 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: Just don't let your dog anywhere near a porcupine. It's 654 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 1: just a not worth the risk. Yeah, and don't you're 655 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: going to scare the porcupine too. 656 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,839 Speaker 2: Yeah, and if you live in porcupine country, don't ever 657 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:36,919 Speaker 2: let your dog out of the house. 658 00:35:37,800 --> 00:35:40,200 Speaker 1: No, as a matter of fact, just keep it wrapped 659 00:35:40,200 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: and bubble wrap at all times. 660 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:43,080 Speaker 2: Toilet train them. 661 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, or just change the bubble wrap and I'm peeling 662 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:47,319 Speaker 1: the bowl rap. 663 00:35:47,440 --> 00:35:50,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. Just have to get tons and tons of bubble wrap. 664 00:35:50,640 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 2: And then don't throw it away, don't recycle it. Put 665 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:56,960 Speaker 2: it in a huge pile at the end of each 666 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 2: season in your front yard and melt it with a blowtorch. 667 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:04,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's great. Maybe mix it with acidtone first. Yes, 668 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 1: I've got two more porcupine facts if you will indulge me. 669 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 2: Let's hear it. 670 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:11,359 Speaker 1: You got anything else? 671 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 2: I got nothing else. 672 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,680 Speaker 1: In the seventies, the seventies in the UK was a 673 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: swing in time for porcupines, apparently because there was a 674 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: population of Himalayan porcupines crested I believe in South Devon 675 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: in the wild, because they'd escaped from the zoo sometime 676 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,120 Speaker 1: in the seventies and lived on the lamb for a decade. 677 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:38,560 Speaker 1: And the same thing happened in Staffordshire with a kind 678 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:42,440 Speaker 1: of crested porcupine where they had a wild population because 679 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: they escaped from the zoo too. 680 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:45,239 Speaker 2: Is that near Stoke on Trent? 681 00:36:46,440 --> 00:36:48,680 Speaker 1: No, no, no, we'll have to ask Tom. All right, if 682 00:36:48,719 --> 00:36:51,640 Speaker 1: that's near Stoke on Trent, all right, you got anything 683 00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:52,280 Speaker 1: else again? 684 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:53,560 Speaker 2: I got nothing else? 685 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:57,360 Speaker 1: Okay, Well let's say for porcupines. Everybody go watch Teddy 686 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: Bear videos. You're gonna love them. And since I said 687 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:01,480 Speaker 1: teddy Bear, it's time for a listener. 688 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:05,880 Speaker 2: Mail Man, I can't wait to turn up the volume 689 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 2: on this. 690 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,319 Speaker 1: You're it's gonna knock your socks right off. 691 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 2: I do this. Teddy Bear is probably on an Instagram, 692 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:17,560 Speaker 2: I would imagine, but I do follow that groundhog on Instagram. 693 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,759 Speaker 1: Oh I Chunk, I think I know. I think I 694 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: know who you're talking about. 695 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, Chunk the Groundhog. It's good stuff. Yeah, all right, 696 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 2: so here we go. This is from Oh, this is 697 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,319 Speaker 2: from Don the Black Cowboy. Did you see this one? 698 00:37:32,400 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 1: Oh? Yeah, this is great. 699 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:37,920 Speaker 2: It's fantastic. We did a short stuff on black cowboys 700 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,480 Speaker 2: in history and how they have long been overlooked. So 701 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:43,040 Speaker 2: for some weird reason, you don't listen to short stuffs. 702 00:37:43,080 --> 00:37:46,160 Speaker 2: You should. Yeah, we never kind of promote that, but 703 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:48,680 Speaker 2: it's just like stuff you should know. But it's shorter. 704 00:37:49,239 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, what's your problem? Listen? 705 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,879 Speaker 2: Hey guys. My name is Don and I'm a twenty 706 00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 2: five year old black cowboy from Texas. I, along with 707 00:37:56,080 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 2: my brother, am also a second generation amateur farrier as well. 708 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 2: My father taught us after learning the trade growing up 709 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,720 Speaker 2: on our family farm, then later going into horse shoeing 710 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:10,680 Speaker 2: as a side career. When I saw your episode about blacksmithing, 711 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 2: I was eager to hear if you mentioned farriers in 712 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:16,879 Speaker 2: it and thought I might finally write in. Then when 713 00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 2: you came out with a black cowboy episode, all of 714 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,399 Speaker 2: my friends shared the episode with me, so I knew 715 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,839 Speaker 2: I had to write. As a kid, our family did 716 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 2: trail rides, rodeos, and horse races nearly every weekend. Since 717 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:31,600 Speaker 2: leaving my hometown for college and beyond, I've often been 718 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,360 Speaker 2: the first introduction to black cowboys slash farmers. For most people, 719 00:38:36,760 --> 00:38:39,880 Speaker 2: there's a large community of black cowboys and farmers still surviving, 720 00:38:40,280 --> 00:38:44,560 Speaker 2: regardless of the systemic issues we face. Whenever it's safe again, 721 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,279 Speaker 2: I'd like to invite anyone hearing this out to our 722 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:51,200 Speaker 2: annual trail ride Easter weekend to get a chance to 723 00:38:51,320 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 2: experience the lifestyle. Isn't that cool, dude, I so want 724 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 2: to do this. 725 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,800 Speaker 1: So we sent a flyer too, and it looks super interesting. 726 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:00,000 Speaker 2: It does. It looks awesome. 727 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. So they hold it over Easter weekend and you 728 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,800 Speaker 1: just basically go live the cowboy life for a weekend. 729 00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:07,480 Speaker 2: I love it. 730 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:09,799 Speaker 1: And it's like ten bucks or something like that too. 731 00:39:09,960 --> 00:39:12,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not like some city slicker scam. 732 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,239 Speaker 1: No, Don doesn't stick it to you, Don, I'll give 733 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 1: it to you straight. 734 00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:18,800 Speaker 2: That's right, Kimbox, straight shooter, he says. Love. The podcast 735 00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 2: really helped keep me company these last few years in 736 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:25,080 Speaker 2: the Peace Corps. So Don is my new most interesting 737 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 2: man in the world. I think he is. 738 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,719 Speaker 1: One of the more well rounded Stuff you Should Know 739 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:30,240 Speaker 1: listeners we've heard from in a while. 740 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, and he says, ps, yes, I did ride my 741 00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:33,840 Speaker 2: horse to school. That's amazing. 742 00:39:34,360 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well thanks a lot, Don, Hats off to you 743 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:40,520 Speaker 1: ten gallon hat even literally thank you for the invite. 744 00:39:40,520 --> 00:39:42,400 Speaker 1: We may see you one of these Easter weekends and 745 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: your trail ride. And if you want to get in 746 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,960 Speaker 1: touch with us, you can send us an email too 747 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 1: to Stuff Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 748 00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:58,759 Speaker 2: Stuff you Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. For 749 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:03,040 Speaker 2: more podcasts My heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, 750 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:04,960 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.