Smithsonian National Zoo adds Quillbur to prehensile-tailed porcupine family

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - The Smithsonian National Zoo is getting a new little critter. And while he may not be the fuzziest of animals at the zoo, prehensile-tailed porcupine Quillbur will help bring new little bundles of pointy joy to the zoo.

"We would describe him as terrific and radiant!" said the National Zoo on their Facebook post on Monday.

They say Quillbur's new home is within the Small Mammal House of the zoo, where he is the new male addition to the prehensile-tailed porcupine family.

Prehensile-tailed porcupines are native to forests of South America, including Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Quillbur is reported to be the new "breeding male" for the porcupines. The zoo's previous male, Clark, passed away in March after developing an upper-respiratory tract infection.

Clark and porcupine mom Bess gave birth to a porcupette, Beatrix, in Feb. 2017. They had three other porcupettes that now reside at other zoos.

DCist reports Quillbur, who arrived two weeks before Thanksgiving from upstate New York, isn't sexually mature.

They say he's currently being housed separately from females Bess and Beatrix.

Zookeepers are reportedly waiting to introduce Quillbur to the females until they have an active interest in breeding. They're expecting that to happen around spring 2019.