He's fuzzy and cute, in a prickly sort of way. As many Houstonians were watching the Gulf and tracking the progress of what was to become Hurricane Humberto, keepers in the Children's Zoo were keeping their eyes on the newest arrival - a baby North American porcupine.

The as-yet unnamed baby was born at approximately 5:30 a.m. on September 13 and weighed 649 grams or about 1 pound 7 ounces. He's doing fine and gaining weight and keepers will vote on a name for the little guy soon. For now, he's living in the Forest area of the McGovern Children's Zoo with his mother Cody and his father Kendal and his sister Spike.

Find out more about the baby and see his pictures when you visit the Animals News page of the Houston Zoo's Web site at houstonzoo.org.

Porcupine Facts:

North American porcupines are the second largest of all rodents. Adults can weigh from 10 to 40 pounds.

Porcupines are born with very soft quills that harden within a couple of hours after birth. The infants will nurse for 4 to 5 months but will begin eating solid food after two weeks.

Porcupines are strict vegetarians. Their diet consists of leaves, twigs, and green plants but they also chew through the outer bark of trees to eat the tender layer of wood below.

Masters of defense, adult porcupines protect themselves with 30,000 quills among the dark, coarse guard hairs on their back and tail. If attacked, contrary to popular belief, the porcupine does not throw its quills; instead, it drives its tail against the assailant and dozens of quills detach easily from the skin to remain embedded in the attacker.