Taipan. Appearance: Cape porcupines' bodies are covered with flat, bristly hairs, and they have large quills on their posterior back and sides that range from a couple of inches to a foot in length. The Cape porcupine is the largest porcupine in the world, alongside the nearly identical African crested porcupine. They weigh approximately 50 lbs. [3], Brush-tailed porcupines live in forests, usually at high elevations, and are nocturnal, sleeping in caves and burrows during the day. Type Mammal. The deep wounds inflicted from these attacks can prove fatal and crested porcupines have been known to injure lions, leopards, hyenas and even humans. Your support will go toward food, veterinary care and enrichment. Different family groups can share resources. The adult crested porcupine has an average head and body length around 60 to 83 cm (24 to 33 in) long, discounting the tail, and weighs from 13 to 27 kg (29 to 60 lb). They make little attempt to conceal themselves from potential predators. Close Search Bearizona Wildlife Park. Their spines are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin that are used to defend them from predators. The solid and sharp quills, covering the body of this animal, serve as a mean of self-defense against predators and are 35 cm (14 in) in length, displaying alternating light and dark stripes. Offspring 1 - 4 Porcupettes. The old world porcupine is brush-tailed generally live in parts of Africa and India whereas the new world porcupine lives in Canada, North and Central America. Let's have a look at how they do this. They are terrestrial, rarely climbing trees, but able to swim. Farmers use dogs to hunt them or smoke them out of burrows. The African Porcupine is primarily nocturnal, although it may be seen during the day. They have shorter hind legs with four fingers on the front feet and 5 on the hind feet. When the porcupine sees predators such as lion, leopard or hyena it will often “freeze”, in the hope that it won’t be noticed. Federal ID #95-319081214831 Little Tujunga Canyon Road, Lake View Terrace, California 91342-5999(818)-899-8702. A number of larger predators like coyotes, great horned owls and bobcats will take an occasional porcupine, but these predators have little impact on porcupine numbers. Their sharp spines and quills can fall off when coming into contact with a predator but grow back quickly. The black and white quills along the head and back of this spiny mammal can be raised into a crest, hence its common name of crested porcupine. The African crested porcupine is the largest porcupine in the world. Activity: DIY Porcupine Defense. But few animals know this porcupine-eating trick. It has an elongated, rat-like face and body and short legs, tipped with clawed and webbed feet. The body of a porcupine is covered by long - up to 60 centimeters pliable spines. However, the one main problem for porcupines is fishers. These quills keep the rodent safe from predators and can even prevent a pride of lions from taking a porcupine down (true story!). Porcupines cannot shoot their quills at predators. Status Least Concern. Quills. Meet Turbo. On these particular arboreal species, quills on the tail are really hard, tough and also points backwards enabling them to stay and climb on the tree branches. oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/african-crested-porcupine, arkive.org/north-african-crested-porcupine/hystrix-cristata/, Web Design & Development: Chicago Digital. Porcupine Profile. A. africanus – African brush-tailed porcupine; A. macrourus – Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine; Predators. The beaver is the only rodent in North America that is larger than the North American porcupine. They have quite acute hearing and will freeze when approached by predators, … The African crested porcupine is usually found in rocky, hill country but they are very adaptable animals who make their home in most types of environment, though there are a few exceptions. Click on the pictures below to meet our resident animals! The meat of the brush-tailed porcupine is popular and is consumed in large quantities. When attacked by a predator, the porcupine raises its quills so it looks twice its size, rattles its tail quills, and stomps its feet. There is hystricidae, or Old World Porcupines, and Erethizontidae, the New World Porcupines.. The African crested porcupine lives in hilly, rocky habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Italy. These include foxes, wolves, owls, bobcats, and cougars. African crested porcupines are excellent diggers and live in an extensive burrow systems, caves, rock crevices or aardvark holes. When threatened, a crested porcupine stamps its feet, growls, and grunts to scare off the predator. The North African crested porcupine is monogamous. Fisher, however, are effective predators of porcupines and can control porcupine populations in areas where they both live. African Crested Porcupine - Hystrix cristata The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family. If a predator approaches, it will first try to escape by running away. New quills will grow in to replace lost ones. [2], The brush-tailed porcupine occurs in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda, in tropical rainforest at altitudes up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft). DIET. [1], Brush-tailed porcupines live in small family groups of about eight members. How Does porcupine attack? African Crested Porcupine is an herbivore that eats bark, bones of dead animals, roots, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs, fallen fruits, and cultivated crops. If this fails, it runs backwards and rams the attacker with the short, thick quills on its backside. Porcupines have become a pest in Kenya and are eaten as a delicacy. If you burn a porcupine quill you get the same smell as if you are burning a human nail. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. There are more than two dozen porcupine species, and all boast a coat of needle-like quills to give predators a sharp reminder that this animal is no easy meal. The African crested porcupine is the largest rodent in Africa, and the 3rd largest rodent in the world, behind the capybara and beaver. They are good diggers. Here is a compilation of wild animal hunting videos from our trip to the Maasai Mara in Kenya recently. Find objects around your house that can function in the same way a porcupine's quills do. But there seems to be a lot of confusion about whether porcupines shoot their quills. Life Span 5 to 7 Years. Description. When attacked by a predator, the porcupine raises its quills so it looks twice its size, rattles its tail quills, and stomps its feet. They can also rattle their quills making a warning sound. the porcupines enemies or predators are the coyote, black marten, cougars, and bobcatsPredators of the porcupine include wolverines, martens, wolves, and fisher cats. To do this, these animals have evolved unique quill-release systems. When confronted, the North African crested porcupine raises and fans its quills to appear large and imposing. The porcupine species found within the Kruger National Park and within Southern Africa is known as the Cape Porcupine, the largest porcupine species on Earth. Porcupine quills are modified hair that has a thick coat and of keratin that is the same as the human nail. Introduction of their newest Animal Ambassador - Quilliam, the African Crested Porcupine. The word derives from the spines on the skin of this mammal. Moreover, the most feared predator that feeds on porcupines are the fishers. It is unable to protect its head by rolling up like a hedgehog. Three animals, however, has figured out how to eat porcupines. It is mostly nocturnal, but will sometimes forage for food in the day, eating bark, roots, fruits, and berries, as well as farm crops. The spines on the tail are hollow, and used to make a rattling sound to scare away predators. An erectile crest of long, bristly hairs runs from the top of the head down to the shoulders. These quills are flat until it senses a predator around it. 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. This is a large species of porcupine, complete with a full compliment of defensive quills and has very few natural predators. A landowner permit is needed to trap chipmunks, opossums, porcupines, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, tree squirrels and woodchucks in Maryland. When attacked by a predator, the porcupine raises its quills so it looks twice its size, rattles its tail quills, and stomps its feet. Become a Sponsor and connect with our animals in a personal way. Friday, April 12, 2019. But these backward-pointing defences are only effective if the rodent can keep its assailant to its rear. FAST FACTS. African porcupines are herbivorous feeding on … The life of an African crested porcupine. When a porcupine is born, its quills are generally very blunt and soft, but as it grows, it starts hardening within a few months. Defense. Rodents are mammals including rats, mice, porcupines, beavers, and more. The porcupine’s head doesn’t have the quills found on its hindquarters. The porcupine is Africa’s largest rodent. Web Design & Development: Chicago Digital, Wildlife Waystation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Porcupine Predators. DISTRIBUTION. References. Once a porcupine has stuck its quills into an enemy, the porcupine needs to quickly separate from the quills. A porcupine also has many similar predators to hedgehogs. This specie have however developed an advanced defense mechanism that makes predators think twice before they consider them for a meal. The answer is “no”. The African porcupine is not a climber and forages on the ground. When cornered, these porcupines can be aggressive, runnning sideways or backwards to embed their sharp quills in an attacker. These porcupines have much longer quills than the North American porcupines you will see in our walkthrough. They have quite acute hearing and will freeze when approached by predators, such as big cats, large predatory birds, or hyaenas. The quills cannot be thrown at predators but do easily fall out, sometimes giving the illusion of being thrown. They have shorter hind legs with four fingers on the front feet and 5 on the hind feet. The spines may be as long as 21 inches. The adult weighs about 3 kg. Instead, the quills detach very easily. Its quills protect it against such predators as Uganda Police. On these particular arboreal species, quills on the tail are really hard, tough and also points backwards enabling them to stay and climb on the tree branches. The quills are mixed together with different sizes of spines. Total votes: 8. Defensive Skills. In North America, pumas and fishers (marten-like mammals) are skilled porcupine predators. African Crested Porcupine - Hystrix cristata The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family. The African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is the largest porcupine in the world. Bobcats, cougars and fishers have learned that a porcupine has no quills on its stomach. Brush-tailed porcupines live in small family groups of about eight members. At the base of the tail, the porcupine has blunt, hollow quills that rattle when shaken, serving as a warning to potential predators. The African crested porcupine is one of the largest rodents in the world, weighing up to 30 kilograms (kg), and growing nearly up to 1 meter (m) in length. Porcupines are a type of rodent found in two main regions of the world, so scientists group them into either Old World or New World porcupines. They are herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits which have fallen to the forest floor. 8(100%) African Crested Porcupine. Defense behaviour displays in a porcupine depend on sight, scent, and sound. The echidna, also known as they the spiny anteater, is a type of monotreme covered in sharp, rigid spines and long, bristly hairs. Their status is: Protected. Diet: The brush-tailed porcupine is mostly herbivorous. head. Their distinguishing feature is the coating of the head, nape, tail, and back of the body in long quills. They weigh approximately 50 lbs. North American Porcupine Predators. Diet: The brush-tailed porcupine is mostly herbivorous. Bobcats, cougars and fishers have learned that a porcupine has no quills on its stomach. Turbo's longest quills can reach up to 13 inches. Their distinguishing feature is the coating of the head, nape, tail, and back of the body in long quills. These can make noise when rattled. [An African crested porcupine will] use all those defenses: the stomping, the rattling, and the shaking of the quills. [1], The brush-tailed porcupine reaches 40 to 50 cm in length, not counting the tail. The brush-tailed porcupine has many native predators: leopards, large raptors and snakes; however, humans are their most prominent and constant predators. Follow this daring little devil of the Kalahari Desert as he effortlessly repels his enemies. Erect quills release easier from the porcupine after they have been pushed into the would-be predator's body. An African crested porcupine's sharp, sturdy quills help protect it against predators. Scientific Name Hystrix cristata. The African crested porcupine is native to regions of Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and areas of the Mediterranean. Their quill lengths vary on different parts of the body, anywhere from 1” to 12” on their back. North American porcupine predators include fishers (carnivores in the weasel family), coyotes, wolves, bobcats and cougars. Their quill lengths vary on different parts of the body, anywhere from 1” to 12” on their back. The largest porcupine is the African Porcupine which can weigh over 20 kilograms (44 pounds). They wear a coat of sharp quills all over their body. The quills are a modified hair, made from keratin like human hair, but hardened. They are mature at about 2 years of age. These spines are very sharp and about 5 cm in length. [2], International Union for Conservation of Nature, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=African_brush-tailed_porcupine&oldid=982915854, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 October 2020, at 04:23. Apex Predator. North African crested porcupine Kingdom Animalia. In addition, predatory birds such as eagles and owls prey on porcupines. Diet Herbivore. The force to help the release of the quills is supplied by the contact with the would-be predator. If this fails to deter the predator, the North African crested porcupine will proceed to stamp its feet, whirr its quills to produce a rattling sound, and will then charge its enemy, back-end first, attempting to stab its enemy with its thicker, shorter quills. The porcupine is the prickliest of rodents, though its Latin name means "quill pig." Unlike most other porcupines, the brush-tailed porcupine has lighter and smaller quills. Rodents like porcupines are usually easy prey to a range of predators. Another North American predator of the porcupine is the coyote, another versatile predator … This is a common species with a very wide range, and despite being used extensively for bushmeat, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". Predators of the Heart - African Crested Porcupine - YouTube The quills are very sharp and they are not firmly attached to the skin. 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