How Do Porcupines Shoot Their Quills?

Many people believe porcupines shoot quills out of their back when they feel threatened. but that’s not exactly how it works. What actually happens is that the porcupine raises and loosens its quills, making them easy to come off. Each quill has tiny barbs that can easily stick in a predator's skin. if a predator gets too close, the slightest touch can lodge dozens of quills in the predator's body. This happens so fast that it can appear as though the quills are being shot off from the porcupine. Luckily, each porcupine quill has a greasy coating that contains an antibiotic material. This protects the porcupine from developing infections if it accidentally sticks itself!