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Porcupine Porcupine The word porcupine comes from the Latin words “porcus spina,” meaning “pig spines”. The porcupine is a slow-moving, peaceful rodent. They are also vegetarians and mostly nocturnal. Their scientific name, Erethizon, means to “irritate with back.” The Porcupine is the second largest of all rodents. It has a small head, large, chunky body.