An Albino Porcupine is a Real Creature and Was Spotted in New Hampshire
Editor's note: This article was written by a Townsquare Media Northern New England contributor and may contain the individual's views, opinions or personal experiences.
Does everyone else in the world know that an albino porcupine exists?
I'll rephrase: does everyone know we have an albino porcupine right here in New Hampshire?
There is no way I'm the only person who had no clue that an all-white porcupine with beady red eyes was such a creature, let alone in the Granite State.
The porcupine is a curious member of the rodent family with sharp quills to protect themselves. Typically, porcupines are brown-yellow(ish)-black-and grey.
I have seen a few of these cool creatures while hiking and camping, as they tend to like wooded areas. Because they are nocturnal, most have spooked me because they blend into the darkness of the night.
I'll be the first to say if this cute lil' albino porcupine was staring at me in the woods, I would NOT be scared. How could you not love this face...
Okay, I might be a little terrified seeing this one lurking around me...
Although porcupines are native to the northeast and other parts of North America, spotting an albino one is very unlikely.
1 in 10,000 porcupines is albino, according to a WMUR article.
The most recent spotting of this phenomenon happened on March 16, 2022. The albino rodent was spotted in a tree in New Hampshire (exact location undisclosed).
If you are in disbelief like I was, check out the picture posted in the "U Local New Hampshire" Facebook group here.
When I first saw the picture, I thought it was a big ball of fluff in a tree. Maybe a sweatshirt that was thrown up into the branches? A white balloon? Never in a million years would I think it would be a porcupine.
Wait, I just found out another thing.
There is such a thing as an albino porcupine, albino porcupines live and exist in New Hampshire, AND they can climb trees.
I think I found my new favorite animal.