How many quills does the normal North American porcupine have?

Porcupines' have few traits in common, the most obvious trait is the long, sharp quills that cover their bodies. Some quills can get up to a foot (30 centimetres) long, like those on Africa's crested porcupine.

Porcupines use the quills as a defense. They shake them, which makes them rattle, as a warning to potential predators. If that doesn't work, they may charge backwards into the predator. The quills are loosely attached but cannot be thrown or projected, according to the Animal Diversity Web. Some quills have scales or barbs that make them very hard to remove. Once a quill is lost, it isn't lost forever. They grow back over time. A North American porcupine can have 30,000 or more quills.