Porcupines' quills are described as which?

• A. They cannot be thrown and are not poisonous
• B. They can be thrown at attackers
• C. They are poisonous
• D. They are barbed and can be thrown

Answer: (A)

Quills defend porcupines through a physical mechanism, not toxins. They’re not poisonous, and porcupines don’t throw or shoot their quills. The quills detach easily when touched and have backward-facing barbs that make them lodge in skin or fur, which is why removal can be painful and tricky. This combination—no venom and no projecting quills—fits the description that they cannot be thrown and are not poisonous, making that option the most accurate. The ideas that quills can be thrown or that quills are poisonous do not match how porcupines actually defend themselves.