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This little girl is a great
educational critter! After only a moment, her quills relax and
out she comes to see the world around her and say hello to all
the faces staring intently at her. No! She's not related to a
porcupine, which is a rodent. Captive born and an owner give
up in 2004, Hidey is a nocturnal insectivore whose relatives
come from Africa. When she gets frightened she rolls up into a
tight ball and erects her quills to protect herself. Sometimes
she pops her quills up when people touch her, especially on her
head. This is startling, because she's quite prickly like a
hairbrush. Those quills are hollow, modified hairs. Can you
imagine having a head full of quills? Headstands would
definitely be out of the question!
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