How many feet can a porcupine throw its quills?

A porcupine can throw its quills 0 feet because porcupines cannot shoot or launch them through the air. The familiar image of a porcupine firing quills at a predator is a myth popularized by cartoons, folklore, and exaggerated stories.

Instead, a threatened porcupine raises its quills, turns its back, and may lash out with its powerful tail. The quills are modified hairs with stiff shafts and microscopic barbs. They detach easily when they touch an attacker, allowing them to become embedded in skin, fur, or tissue. The porcupine does not need to aim or propel them for this defense to work.

North American porcupines can carry up to roughly 30,000 quills across their backs, rumps, and tails. Quills can eventually be shed and replaced, but removing them from a dog or other animal can be painful because the backward-facing barbs make them difficult to pull out.