Porcupines Shoot Their Quills

Porcupines cannot actively shoot or launch their quills. Instead, the quills are loosely attached with barbed tips that detach easily on contact, making it seem like they were shot. Porcupines can back into threats or curl into a ball to present quills, but the 'shooting' is a misconception. The quill tips have tiny barbs that make them very difficult to remove once embedded.