Bronx Zoo puts adorable baby porcupine on display

Porcupines may not be thought of as cute, but there's one in New York that may prove that stereotype wrong.

A baby porcupine was born about a month ago at the Bronx Zoo, and it has recently made its public debut in the renovated Children's Zoo section.

The as-yet unnamed male is the third offspring of captive residents Alice and Patrick.

While the animals are known for their spiny quills, they are actually born with a soft, fur-like covering that firms up shortly after birth and continues to harden over time.

In fact, some adult porcupines have as many as 30,000 quills which are used to defend themselves against attackers.

The sharp spikes come off their bodies fairly easily, but the tip is designed to make them hard to dislodge once they've pierced into another animal.

Replacement quills are grown once one is lost.