Taxonomy. The crest starts from the top of the head and goes down to the shoulders. You can see them sleeping together, with their quills facing outwards- a natural behavior. The more common name for this species is the crested porcupine. It is mostly nocturnal but will sometimes forage for food in the day. Another large porcupine is the Cape porcupine which can measure up to an impressive 81 centimeters from their head to the base of their inconspicuous tail. Sub-Saharan Africa. Tiny civet escapes from two leopards – Londolozi TV, How to make sugarcane juice – Zanzibar special, Baobab flowers – Africa’s beautifully ephemeral sight, Five Botswana safari moments I’ll never forget [Photo Blog]. Porcupine quills are a favorite ornament and good-luck charm in Africa. Wildscreen's Arkive project was launched in 2003 and grew to become the world's biggest encyclopaedia of life on Earth. Next Post. In case you haven’t picked it up yet, porcupines are fantastic tree-climbers. Editorial Team at Africa Freak is a group of expert Africa writers and influencers. The word porcupine in Latin means “quill pig.” It’s an inaccurate scientific description as porcupines are rodents and pigs are even-toed ungulates. Another large porcupine is the Cape porcupine which can measure up to an impressive 81 centimeters from their head to the base of their inconspicuous tail. It can grow up to 90 centimeters long and weigh up to 30 kilograms. . Little porcupettes weigh about a third of their mother’s weight. Both sexes are about 84 cm in length. Baby porcupines are called ‘porcupettes’. The African cape porcupine is one of the largest members of the rodent family. Five Fascinating facts about Cape Porcupines. • “Porcupine” comes from the Latin porcusfor pig and spinafor spine: “spiny pig.” • All Old World porcupines have spines of some sort, but their spines lack the barbules that characterize the spines of North American porcupines. Source: Wikipedia It is covered in multiple layers of modified hair called quills, with … While porcupines may be a popular animal to add to your safari-spotting list, you may find the challenge to be a little more difficult than spotting the likes of the African antelope. African Crested Porcupine. Gestation period lasts for 112 days, yielding 1 - 2 well-developed babies. These quills keep the rodent safe from predators and can even prevent a pride of lions from taking a porcupine down (true story!). The African crested porcupine lives in hilly, rocky habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Italy. Habitat: Highly adaptable, living anywhere vegetation is available.They are more likely to be found in open spaces rather than wooded … Some of these plant materials include fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs and bark. The average life expectancy of a wild porcupine is 5 to 6 years, while their captive counterparts have been known to live up to 10 years. They will dig their own burrows or take over abandoned aardvark burrows. The North American porcupine has over 30,000 quills! The African crested porcupine lives in hilly, rocky habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Italy. They are well-developed and are born with open eyes. Tags: Porcupines. In porcupine: Old World porcupines (family Hystricidae) European populations of the African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) retreat into their dens during storms and cold spells, but they do not hibernate. In addition to TRAVEL AFRICA, Gecko … Interestingly enough, reports have indicated porcupines gnawing on carrion and bones. Between one and four young are born in the grass-lined burrow. Normally, when we talk about hedgehogs, we’re talking about much smaller animals that have small spikes that surround their entire bodies uniformly. Each quill is marked with black and white bands. They are herbivores, primarily eating roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruit, and will seek out cultivated root crops like potatoes and carrots, making them agricultural pests. For example, many female monkeys and chimpanzees advertise their sexual readiness. If the disturbance continues, they stamp their feet, whirr quills and charge the enemy, back end first, attempting to stab with the thicker, shorter quills (Nowak 1991; Grzimek 1990). 10 to 30 kilograms (22 to 66 pounds) Size. Their ability to learn quickly has probably contributed to their lifestyle adaptation which keeps them protected from predators during the day. The more common name for this species is the crested porcupine. 15 years in the wild; up to 20 years in captivity. For example, the Cape porcupine has a long small intestine and large caecum (which connects the two intestines). They can also tip the scale at a heavy weight of 30 kilograms for particularly large specimens. The African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is the largest porcupine in the world. The crested porcupine lives in burrows, and can be found in North and West Africa, and parts of East Africa and the Mediterranean. The crested porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) The Cape porcupine grows up to a meter long and 20kg in weight. There are several animal species where the female initiates mating – known as “sex role reversal”. This can lead to them climbing trees. They are generally nocturnal, but are occasionally active during daylight. As nocturnal animals, they do most of their foraging at night. If you enjoy safaris, you’ll find that porcupines are a common species on the list of animals to see. Porcupine Diet African porcupines are largely herbivorous, digging out bulbs, roots and tubers with their strong claws. Smaller, rigid quills that are 20 centimeters (8 inches) long are densely packed over the Old World porcupine’s rump and back. These predators kill a porcupine by biting its unprotected face or by flipping it over to expose the vulnerable underside. Habitat: Highly adaptable, living anywhere vegetation is available.They are more likely to be found in open spaces rather than wooded areas, and they seek out rocky crevices, abandoned burrows and caves for shelter. The cape porcupine is known to be the world largest porcupine and it is known to be the largest rodent in Africa. They spend the h LEAST CONCERNED. African Crested Porcupine is an herbivore that eats bark, bones of dead animals, roots, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs, fallen fruits, and cultivated crops. Instead, the porcupette’s quills are soft and bendable, gradually hardening in the first few days after birth. The African porcupine is twice the length of the echidna, which measures about 47.5 cm. The prolific Sibly published his Universal System of Natural History in 17941796 in five volumes covering the three natural worlds of fauna, flora and geology. It mostly eats fruit and tough roots, but has been known to scavenge the remains of dead animals. Some quills, like … New quills quickly replace lost ones. Your email address will not be published. The baby will suckle from its mother for 4-5 months. Although they have been found at altitudes of 11,480 feet on Mount Kilimanjaro, they are not found in … Turbo's longest quills can … They are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World relatives, and generally smaller. … Animal Planet 117,727 views. Oregon Zoo: Meet African Crested Porcupine Nolina 1 Click the picture on the left for the to the video 2 Tap: View original to load the video Activity: DIY Porcupine Defense 3 Click the button to load your template 4 Use the tool or the to share 2-3 facts you learned today, Fun Fact : Porcupines are great at finding food—they're nocturnal and will forage for up to 9 hours a night, seeking out bark from trees … Wild crested porcupines can be found in parts of Italy such as Sicily. Luckily, the loss of their quills doesn’t leave them unprotected. The porcupine is another one of these species. Previous Post Congo creates new park Next Post Essential Windhoek. Porcupines are mostly nocturnal, spending their evenings foraging for dinner. The lifespan of wild Indian crested porcupines is unknown, but the oldest known captive individual was a female that lived to be 27.1 years old. They are tolerant of a range of habitats … When alarmed, porcupines will … Interesting Facts: • Like other rodents, they have a single pair of sharp, continually growing incisor teeth that they use to gnaw and rip tough plant material. Habitat. They live in forests and deserts, and on rocky outcrops and hillsides. Wild crested porcupines can be found in parts of Italy such as Sicily. If you’re ever lucky enough to see a porcupine in person, you’ll note how big they can actually be. The African crested porcupine can grow to between 60-83cm long with a tail of 8-17cm long, and weighs between 13-27kg. Some quills can be up to 51 centimeters (20 inches) long. This rodent is 25 – 29 inches long (63-73 cm) and weighs about 18 – 51 pounds (8-23 kg). After mating, the female usually births two babies and the parents will share the responsibility of caring for the young ones. This means that the slightest unwanted touch from a predator can fix dozens of painful quills into the porcupine’s enemy. African Crested Porcupine - Hystrix cristata The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family. The North African crested porcupine is the largest. They develop elaborate burrows to house this family group. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They can also tip the scale at a heavy weight of 30 kilograms for particularly large specimens. It eats leaves, herbs, twigs and green plants like clover and in the winter it may eat bark. Although both the New World and the Old World porcupines boast a similar coat of quills, they are two distinct groups and not as closely related as you would imagine. African Crested Porcupine. © 2020 Africa Freak | All Rights Reserved, What sound does a hippo make? Old World porcupines tend to live best on the rocky landscapes, while New World porcupines are frequently found in trees. The more common name for this species is the crested porcupine. 60 to 93 centimeters in length (23 to 37 inches) Life span . Fun Facts Porcupines are highly intelligent animals with fantastic memories. This is the world’s largest porcupine – and also by far the largest rodent in Africa. These long, pliable quills act as guard hairs and form a “skirt.” When threatened, the skirt can be erected, making the porcupine appear two to three times bigger. 1. In addition to being targeted for their … They display their weaponry for all to see. Its proportions are not as attractive as its animal itself. African crested porcupine Atherurus africanus. These porcupines have much longer quills than the North American porcupines you will see in our walkthrough. If you do, it could mean that they are sick or there’s a danger in their den. Range: Sub-Saharan Africa. The largest porcupine, the North African crested porcupine, grows up to 36 inches (90 centimetres). The crested porcupine is part of the family Hystricidae. They are nocturnal animals that can travel up to 9 miles (14.5 km) in a night in the wild. Porcupines are large rodents with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail. When disturbed, they raise and fan quills to create an illusion of greater size (Nowak 1991). The smallest, the Bahia hairy dwarf porcupine, grows up to 15 inches (38 cm) long. The Old World porcupines live in southern Europe, Asia and across Africa. They’re covered in sharp spikes that make it very difficult for predators to hunt them. Predators. Herbivorous. Porcupine quills are a favorite ornament and good-luck charm in Africa. It’s an old Native American tradition to collect porcupine quills as a form of decoration. African Crested Porcupine. 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