Where Do Porcupines Live in America?

North American porcupines are some of the biggest rodents that come from North America, beaten out in size solely by beavers, according to the Woodland Park Zoo. The general coat coloration for North American porcupines is black or deep brown. These New World porcupines usually weigh between 12 and 35 pounds, with full body lengths of between 25 and 36 inches. Females usually weigh a little less than the males. North American porcupines are herbivores that feed a lot on herbs, grasses, wood, tree bark, foliage, buds and apples.

North American porcupines, as their names convey, live exclusively in North America -- in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States, they roam throughout both western and northern regions. These yellowish-brown creatures also reside in the northeast -- think Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York -- although in significantly smaller numbers. Alaska is also home to a sizable North American porcupine population.

As far as habitat goes, North American porcupines are very adaptable animals. Some typical living environments for these solitary porcupines are desert shrublands, chaparral, mountains, grasslands, woodlands, sagebrush, swamps, tundra and thick forests -- whether deciduous, coniferous or mixed. In the cold winter months, North American porcupines typically hide away in dens -- preferably amidst rocks, but also occasionally up in trees.

Depending on what specific area of North America a porcupine lives in, he may spend most of his time up in trees or on the ground. For example, porcupines that reside in the northeast usually spend most of their time in trees. In the northwestern region of the United States, however, they tend to keep their bodies planted squarely on terra firma.