Prehensile-tailed porcupines are born with soft, reddish quills which eventually turn in to hard spikes as it grows. “Prehensile-tailed” refers to the fact that this tree-living species uses its tail to grip and hang on branches. This  porcupine, pictured here at two weeks old, is on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's  Small Mammal House.

Photo Credit: Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Date July 1, 2008