Maine Porcupines Being Threatened by Mysterious Virus from Canada
Porcupines are darling creatures. They have a defense mechanism built into them which shoots quills out of their skin if they feel threatened. It's pretty neat to think that an animal has a built in defense system. They're like real life Blade but their knives are built into their skin.
A favorite past time of mine includes watching porcupines eating corn on the cob.
Hearing the little bites they take is satisfying and comforting.
The point is, we love porcupines, they are corn crunching super hero's and they are being threatened by a virus.
According to an article on Newsbreak, three porcupines have been killed by a mysterious virus. Scientists are baffled by this virus that is attacking our beloved Porky's. They say that they were able to track the virus all the back to Canada. A symptom is runny nose and labored breathing. Bangor daily news also reported that after scientists took samples, they were able to diagnose the disease as Skunk Adenovirus 1.
"What they saw was a disease that could wreak havoc on Maine’s porcupine population."
Bangor Daily News
Researchers are saying that this is an emerging disease having being spotted first back in 2014 in Ontario, Canada. Since then, it has been found in hedgehogs, foxes, porcupines, and racoons.
Now, the Maine Department Inland Fisheries & Wildlife have partnered up with trappers, wildlife researchers and other research personal to study this virus.
In a report by the University of Cape Town, porcupines are super important to our ecosystem, they're not just fun to watch eat corn. They help to engineer our ecosystem. Due to their disturbance of soil while they are looking for food, they are helping to maintain biodiversity within mother nature.
Therefore, Porky's help evolve our plants, they're like little spiky gardeners.
Hopefully, researchers will find the cure to this virus so that we are not facing extinction in these glorious creatures. We will keep reporting as updates occur.
Bathing Monkeys Teach Us How To Cope With Maine Winter Blues
Bathing Monkeys Teach Us How To Cope With Maine Winter Blues
From Roadkill to Romance, This Maine Woman Transforms Art as We Know It