African Crested Porcupine comes to Living Desert

welcomed a year-old African Crested Porcupine this week to Palm Desert.

Nusura, which is Swahili for survivor, was born May 26, 2010 at the Naples Zoo in Florida and currently weighs about 11 pounds, according to the zoo.

Crested Porcupines are vegetarians, eating mostly plant material, fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs and bark. And some of Nursura's favorite meals include sweet potatoes, turnips and watermelon.

Visitors won't be in danger of getting stuck by her quills.

When threatened, porcupines bristle their quills to appear larger, rattle their tail, stomp their feet, hiss and snort. Only if a predator doesn't back off, the porcupine charges backwards, embedding razor-sharp quills, the Living Desert reported.

Porcupines do not shoot their quills, contrary to popular belief.

Crested Porcupines are among the biggest rodents in southern Africa at more than 66 pounds, can grow more than two feet long, and are very long-lived, about 15-20 years.

Crested Porcupines form monogamous pairs for life.