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Porcupines have fleas? #7436631
12/20/21 02:01 PM
12/20/21 02:01 PM
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 218
South Dakota
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M.S. Pickins Offline OP
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M.S. Pickins  Offline OP
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South Dakota
Been processing a lot of porcupine lately and I have noticed some particularly disgusting individuals infested with fleas and other wonderful things. Never knew porcupine carried fleas like that, just wanted to share as it never really crossed my mind before. I suppose they carry many diseases as well? They are just a large rodent after all.

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436654
12/20/21 02:46 PM
12/20/21 02:46 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Manitoba
There are two species of fleas recorded on porcupines . One species Chaetopsylla setosa is very large when the females are gravid < 9mm in size records are from Montana on these. The other species is the true species Ceratophyllus adustus collected near Atkin BC and has been collected on wood peckers .( May be Gulo will chime in) since it was from birds in Alaska during his time there. We are talking about splitting hairs on the third coxal for identification.
C. Setosa has been found on may species that probably consume porcupines, like lynx, bobcat, cougar, grizzleys and those Minn govebment dogs

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436684
12/20/21 03:53 PM
12/20/21 03:53 PM
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3,067
Wyoming
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cmcf Offline
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Wyoming
Originally Posted by M.S. Pickins
Been processing a lot of porcupine lately and I have noticed some particularly disgusting individuals infested with fleas and other wonderful things. Never knew porcupine carried fleas like that, just wanted to share as it never really crossed my mind before. I suppose they carry many diseases as well? They are just a large rodent after all.


Surprisingly porcupines do not carry diseases that are communicable to humans other than rabies and occasionally Tularemia.


“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined” B. Disraeli

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436694
12/20/21 04:07 PM
12/20/21 04:07 PM
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Wyoming
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cmcf Offline
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Wyoming
I was sitting in a D9 cat waiting for the rain to stop so we could put in a River crossing I found a book entitled communicable diseases in Man. The book said that porcupine was The only animal in North America there was safe to eat raw. Porcupine literally means pig of the woods.


“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined” B. Disraeli

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436697
12/20/21 04:25 PM
12/20/21 04:25 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Manitoba
Surprise; Ceratophyllus is one genera of fleas that do transmit the plague

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: cmcf] #7436699
12/20/21 04:28 PM
12/20/21 04:28 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by cmcf
I was sitting in a D9 cat waiting for the rain to stop so we could put in a River crossing I found a book entitled communicable diseases in Man. The book said that porcupine was The only animal in North America there was safe to eat raw. Porcupine literally means pig of the woods.



Well pardner.................if you have ever gutted a porky I am pretty sure you'd decline the opportunity for porky sushi


Mean As Nails
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436701
12/20/21 04:31 PM
12/20/21 04:31 PM
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3,067
Wyoming
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cmcf Offline
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Wyoming
No I have never eaten porcupine just relating what the books say. I did see on one episode of alone where are the girl killed a Porky that had a spotted liver not good in my opinion


“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined” B. Disraeli

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436707
12/20/21 04:38 PM
12/20/21 04:38 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
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McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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McGrath, AK
Generally the cavity is riddled with worms.

Even cooked well, they are a real challenge for me to eat.


Mean As Nails
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436730
12/20/21 05:17 PM
12/20/21 05:17 PM
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Posts: 2,666
Idaho, Lemhi County
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Gulo Offline
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Idaho, Lemhi County
Through the years, I seriously doubt if I've encountered any other mammal with so many parasites. Roundworms and flatworms are generally extremely numerous. Fleas, lice, and ticks are common in my experience. Mange and scabies are not uncommon. Papillomas (wart-like lesions) from viral infections are common. In my opinion, although I'm not a parasitologist, they are one animal I cook extensively before eating. Also, the fat is rank and needs to be removed before cooking and consumption.

Jack


Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436749
12/20/21 05:44 PM
12/20/21 05:44 PM
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Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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McGrath, AK
Jack or North of50: are porkies coprophagic ? Since they seem to only eat bark where do they pick up the endos ?


Mean As Nails
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436768
12/20/21 05:58 PM
12/20/21 05:58 PM
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Posts: 45,271
james bay frontierOnt.
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Boco Offline
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james bay frontierOnt.
Traditional way that porcupines are handled here is-they are burnt on the outside on an open fire-They are not skinned.After all the hair and quills are burnt off,the skin is charred black on the outside all over and then scraped down to pink with a large knife like a machete or big butcher knife.
Then they are gutted and cooked sagabon(vertical spit roasted) beside the fire.

I guess that takes care of all the ectoparasites.

it doesnt surprise me that porcupines have a lot of parasites,they live in a mountain of their own dung.

Last edited by Boco; 12/20/21 06:00 PM.

Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7436780
12/20/21 06:13 PM
12/20/21 06:13 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Manitoba
Flea done it. to your answer White17
but I only do exto and endo is to deep and messy for to play with
Saskbone has quite a market for the quills and hair.maybe he will chime in

Being a continuously cavity user they can come in contact with many of the microtone community using their burrows in the winter months and raising their young.

I have only handled one for the fleas and I do not have access to see what they were right now. But it was a doozer for flea picking.

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437095
12/20/21 11:05 PM
12/20/21 11:05 PM
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McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

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I can see where they could easily pick up microtine feces in a den like you describe. After thinking about it more I also suspect they pick up eggs and larva in the water they drink. They could easily encounter egg contaminated feces on vegetation. Thinking about things like Dracunculus, Echinococcus & Dirofilaria types of critters that we see in some furbearers as well as moose and bears. They must pick those up in the water


Mean As Nails
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437123
12/20/21 11:31 PM
12/20/21 11:31 PM
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wyoming southeast
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danvee Offline
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Over 100, I think if I remember 138 species of fleas birds and beaver even have them.

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437224
12/21/21 02:17 AM
12/21/21 02:17 AM
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 6,325
se South Dakota
NonPCfed Offline
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se South Dakota
Quote
Well pardner.................if you have ever gutted a porky I am pretty sure you'd decline the opportunity for porky sushi


Why do people always think an entire critter has to be be eaten (i.e. gutting and cleaning out the body cavity)? I've never gutted a coon but typical eat a couple of back legs a year. Cut of the back quarters, the back straps (if you want), and front quarters (if you want). Sure, some critters will have parasites or their cysts in their muscle meat but way less than what's inside the body cavity.

And no, I've never ate any piney pigs, just blown a few up over the years. They are not local around here.


"And God said, Let us make man in our image �and let them have dominion �and all the creatures that move along the ground".
Genesis 1:26
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437497
12/21/21 11:31 AM
12/21/21 11:31 AM
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Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
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white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
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McGrath, AK
I was responding to his statement about eating porcupines raw. I'm sure you have seen guinea worms between the skin and the flesh of animals such as otters, mink, even marten in some areas get them. They are common in moose also. Those worms travel from the gut through the FLESH to reach the skin.........where they create an opening so they can deposit their eggs in water.

You can see the same things when cutting certain fish. Filet a Sockeye salmon sometime and you will find many of them have a similar type worm transiting from the gut, through the flesh, to the skin. This is why salmon is not a highly prized fish for sushi, in Japan.

So sure, you can eat a lot gross things if they are cooked well. Eating them raw is a different story altogether.


Mean As Nails
Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437502
12/21/21 11:39 AM
12/21/21 11:39 AM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
"American Honey"
Sharon  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
UGH.....

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437525
12/21/21 12:03 PM
12/21/21 12:03 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
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Northof50 Offline
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Northof50  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,120
Manitoba
Fear factor 101
barf factor 201
sorry to ruin your painting day Sharon

so that book probably never had a proof reader go through it and remove the LAWYER CATCHER PHRASES from going to print

Re: Porcupines have fleas? [Re: M.S. Pickins] #7437532
12/21/21 12:10 PM
12/21/21 12:10 PM
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 11,441
Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
Sharon Offline
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Montana ,Rocky Mtns.
No worries, N40, I'm not working today , but driving into town to get some supplies grin

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