A tree near the 12th Street bridge over the Humboldt River in Elko, Nevada, has been getting a lot of attention from residents lately as many try to determine what the heck that “black ball” is sitting high in the limbs.
On its Facebook page, the Nevada Department of Wildlife posted images of it and identified it for those who couldn’t figure it out.
“You may have seen the black ball in a tree near the road,” the NDW wrote. “It’s not a nest or debris blown in by the wind, it’s a…”
Here are a few hints: It’s a rodent with the scientific name of Hystricidae Erethizontidae, grows to 36 inches with a 10-inch tail, and lives up to 7 years. And it surprisingly climbs trees. It’s also known to be prickly.
“It’s a porcupine!” the NDW revealed. “One of many wildlife species that live along the river.
“With a ground speed topping out at 2 miles an hour, porcupines prefer trees for shelter and protection. They also have an appetite for the bark. If they can’t find a good tree, they will den in caves, rock crevices, hollow logs and trees, deserted fox dens, brush piles and even abandoned buildings.
“Porcupines are second largest, only to the Beaver, in the rodent order. Weighing up to 20 pounds, they are slow and clumsy, but when you have almost 30,000 needle like quills as an armor, who needs speed!”
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The reveal surprised several people.
“I’ve been wondering what it was,” one Facebook commenter wrote. “Saw them taking pictures of it the other day.”
“That’s cool!” another wrote. “I have seen it but thought it was a nest.”
“I had no idea they climb trees!” yet another wrote.
Not many people did. Now we all know.
Photos courtesy of the Nevada Department of Wildlife; generic image of a porcupine on the ground courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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