A Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine was recently welcomed into the world by Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in New York. The newborn weighs 400 grams, but its gender has yet to be determined.

The young porcupine is being monitored by zoo staff and is bonding with Mother Zoey and father Mattie. The baby is dependent on the mother for nutrition during the first four weeks after birth and will be weaned at 15 weeks, Zoo Borns reported.

The birth is a major success for the Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine's Species Survival Plan (SSP), which made sure that there will be a healthy breeding from Zoey. Hence, the father Mattie was recommended as a breeding candidate for Zoey under recommendations from the SSP.

Unlike adult porcupines, baby porcupines, also known as porcupettes, are not born with sharp or barbed quills. Instead, they have soft and bendable quills that will gradually harden. After 10 weeks, their quills will reach maturity.

The porcupines have a prehensile tail that they use to grasp branches for balance and a long curved claw that they could use for climbing. The Prehensile-Tailed Porcupines are native to South America.