PRICKLY PAIR (Aug, 1954)
Source: Mechanix Illustrated ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Aug, 1954
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PRICKLY PAIR
TWO sharp quillers from the Amazon Jungle moved in with Marion and Paul McMichael of Brooklyn two years ago just so the husband and wife could prove a point. You see, the quillers are prehensile-tailed porcupines named Gerald and Geraldine and the McMichaels had heard that all such animals were dumb—and dangerous. As a member of the New York Zoological Society, Paul didn’t think so and he brought a couple home to study..
“Affectionate and playful, Gerald and Geraldine are clean and do not destroy furniture. They do not shoot their quills as many hunters believe. But the quills are sharp as needles and overlay like shingles on a roof. They grow from five to six inches long and then are shaken loose. Removing them from the rug is the only tough job.
I worked with a guy whose family had a pet hedgehog. He said stepping on it when he was making a relief call during the night was an experience. (I’ve heard similar things about people whose small kids leave Lego blocks in the carpet.) With porkypines you’d need to have pliers on hand.
Cheers — MrG / http://www.vectorsite.net
Comment by MrG — January 13, 2009 @ 11:11 pm