Page 134 - Present Day Wildlife_Float

Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills. There are two totally unrelated
species of Porcupine. The Old World porcupine; (of the family Hystricidae*) is a large terrestrial species
that lives in Italy, Asia, and most of Africa and the New World species (of the family Erethizontidae**)
which is totally arboreal and are found in North America and northern South America. Combined, both
species number 30 different breeds with a size range of less than 1 to 2 kg for the New world, Rothschild's
porcupine of South America, to over 27 kg for the Old
world Italian and African, crested porcupine.

New World porcupines consist of three extant
genera; Erethizon which has one species and is the only
one to inhabit North America. It’s the largest of the new
world species weighing around 7 to 8 kg with a length of
around 80 to 90cm. The two remaining genera, Coen-
dou, (with around 18 species) and Chaetomys, (with 1
species) live in Central and South America. Noticeable
differences they have from the old world species are
that they tend to be smaller, with their keratin hard-
ened quills scattered individually among their hairy
fur coats. They also lack front toes and have four teats.
Though, once thought to be nocturnal, most new
**Family Erethizontidae world species are known to be active both day and
(New World) night. Most are strictly tree dwellers and are found in
Subfamily Chaetomyinae
Genus Chaetomys all types of coniferous and mixed forested areas. However, some do leave
Bristle-spined rat the trees to rest and to sleep at night in rocky outcrops and burrows aban-
Subfamily Erethizontinae doned by other animals. As tree dwellers they are excellent climbers and
Genus Coendou – most have long prehensile tails they use to wrap around branches and help
prehensile-tailed porcupines them clamber around the trees looking for food. They are however, very
Baturite porcupine -
Bicolored-spined porcupine slow movers and cannot jump, so when they want to change trees they must
Streaked dwarf porcupine leave the trees and cross the open ground making them vulnerable to large
Bahia porcupine predators. In the summer they feed on a variety of twigs, roots, stems, ber-
Black-tailed hairy dwarf porcu- ries and leaves. They do not hibernate, so in the winter they live on ever-
pine green needles the inner bark of trees and gnaw on bones and antlers for cal-
Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine
Black dwarf porcupine cium and other minerals.
Brazilian porcupine
Frosted hairy dwarf porcupine Old World porcupines, consist of three genera; Hystrix,
Andean porcupine Atherurus and Trichys, which are all terrestrial with the exception of
Rothschild's porcupine Trichys fasciculata, that climb trees searching for food. Found in Bru-
Roosmalen's dwarf porcupine
Stump-tailed porcupine nei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, it’s the smallest of the species weighing less
Santa Marta porcupine than 4 kg, and not including the tail, is about 0.5 metre in length. The ge-
Coandumirim nus Atherurus found in Asia and Africa, is the fastest of the species moving
Paraguaian hairy dwarf porcu- at speed across the ground, it’s also a good climber, jumper and swimmer,
pine while the genus Hystrix, found in Africa, houses some of the world’s largest
Brown hairy dwarf porcupine
Genus Erethizon rodents. The Old World species tend to be larger than those of the new
North American porcupine worlds and as they live on the ground they are much more mobile. One no-
ticeable difference is their keratin hardened quills, which grow in large
*Family Hystricidae (Old clumps, as opposed to individually like those of the new worlds. They are
World) also strictly nocturnal, though they do come out during the day if the
Genus Hystrix weather is too hot or food is scarce. As herbivores they live on a wide varie-
Subgenus Acanthion
Malayan porcupine ty of fruit, roots, cultivated crops and bulbs, and as they do not winter hi-
Sunda porcupine bernate they will supplement their diet by gnawing bones and antlers for
Subgenus Hystrix calcium and other minerals. They live on the ground in rock crevices, or
Cape porcupine burrows abandoned by other animals and some like those of the genus Hys-
Crested porcupine trix will dig their own burrows which they will pass on to successive gener-
Indian porcupine
Subgenus Thecurus ations. All species both Old and New use their quills for defence. They can-
Thick-spined porcupine not ‘shoot’ their quills, but they do use their tails to lash out, leaving the
Philippine porcupine quills stuck deep in the attackers flesh and vulnerable to infection. They al-
Sumatran porcupine so roll into a tight ball, that few predators will dare touch for fear of injury,
Genus Atherurus though, fishers, bobcats and wolverines do hunt porcupines very success-
African brush-tailed porcupine
Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine fully. Some species like the Hystrix and Atherurus use their quills as loud
Genus Trichys rattles to warn of danger or at mating time to woo the females. (See: Ro-
Long-tailed porcupine dent)