Facts About the african crested porcupine
By zteve t evans
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. Although they have been found at altitudes of 11,480 feet on Mount Kilimanjaro, they are not found in dry, empty deserts or damp forests.
The largest rodent in Africa
This porcupine is the heaviest and largest rodent found in Africa. They have roundish heads, small eyes and ears and a blunt, stubby muzzle. Their legs are short and strong and there are five toes on each foot with powerful claws.
Quills as a defence
Its quills are its obvious most distinguishing feature varying from one inch to 12 inches in length depending on their position on the back and body. The quills normally are flat pointing backwards. When danger threatens, the porcupine raises and broadens them out to form a painfully protective barrier between itself and a predator.
The quill tips have scales which act like fishhooks making them difficult and painful to pull out or dislodge. When a porcupine loses quills others grow in replacement.
Porcupines do not shoot their quills at predators as is widely thought. When under threat of attack the porcupine will give warnings by hissing, growling, clicking teeth, stamping its feet and rattling special quills.
If the predator does not take the warning and the porcupine deems itself under threat, it will run backwards spearing its enemy with many quills. Its hind quarters are heavily equipped with quills so this is a very effective tactic. If they are being chased they will also stop suddenly and reverse charge into a predator.
Although the predator usually survives the initial porcupine tactic, it may have injured its mouth severely enough to prevent it eating causing it to die by starvation. There is also a danger the wounds may become infected also causing death.
This porcupine is the heaviest and largest rodent found in Africa. They have roundish heads, small eyes and ears and a blunt, stubby muzzle. Their legs are short and strong and there are five toes on each foot with powerful claws.
Quills as a defence
Its quills are its obvious most distinguishing feature varying from one inch to 12 inches in length depending on their position on the back and body. The quills normally are flat pointing backwards. When danger threatens, the porcupine raises and broadens them out to form a painfully protective barrier between itself and a predator.
The quill tips have scales which act like fishhooks making them difficult and painful to pull out or dislodge. When a porcupine loses quills others grow in replacement.
Porcupines do not shoot their quills at predators as is widely thought. When under threat of attack the porcupine will give warnings by hissing, growling, clicking teeth, stamping its feet and rattling special quills.
If the predator does not take the warning and the porcupine deems itself under threat, it will run backwards spearing its enemy with many quills. Its hind quarters are heavily equipped with quills so this is a very effective tactic. If they are being chased they will also stop suddenly and reverse charge into a predator.
Although the predator usually survives the initial porcupine tactic, it may have injured its mouth severely enough to prevent it eating causing it to die by starvation. There is also a danger the wounds may become infected also causing death.
Behaviour
They will adapt natural niches, hollows and cavities among rocks and roots and will also move into holes made by other animals though they also dig their own burrows when needed and line with grass.
There is very little known about their breeding in the wild but the gestation period is about 112 days. The female gives birth to one to four young which are well-developed and have their eyes open when born.
When they are born the infant's quills are soft, but after two weeks, they begin to harden and they leave their home for the first time. The juveniles can be quite frisky and playful running and chasing each other. They are suckled for six to eight weeks until they are able to manage vegetable foods.
Diet
Their diet consists mainly of tuber, roots, bark, fallen fruit, and they will also raid cultivated crops of potatoes, carrots and cassava. If they come across carrion they will store it in their burrows for later use.
Threats
Porcupines can become pests when their populations expand in agricultural areas. They may be smoked from their burrows and hunted with spears. This has seen them eradicated from areas of human agricultural activity in some areas of its range.
Even so it is not regarded as under threat and is not listed on the Endangered Species List. The reduction in numbers of its potential enemies such as lions and leopards has benefited the porcupine
In many ways it can be seen as an example of a species more than holding its own and because of the absence of predators expanding its range though the possible consequences of such increases cannot yet be determined.
In the past in many other areas over-population of one species caused by the demise of its predators has caused imbalances that have had dire consequences on other species of fauna and flora. While it may seem beneficial to the porcupine it may be disastrous for other species.
© 22/10/2009 zteve t evans
They will adapt natural niches, hollows and cavities among rocks and roots and will also move into holes made by other animals though they also dig their own burrows when needed and line with grass.
There is very little known about their breeding in the wild but the gestation period is about 112 days. The female gives birth to one to four young which are well-developed and have their eyes open when born.
When they are born the infant's quills are soft, but after two weeks, they begin to harden and they leave their home for the first time. The juveniles can be quite frisky and playful running and chasing each other. They are suckled for six to eight weeks until they are able to manage vegetable foods.
Diet
Their diet consists mainly of tuber, roots, bark, fallen fruit, and they will also raid cultivated crops of potatoes, carrots and cassava. If they come across carrion they will store it in their burrows for later use.
Threats
Porcupines can become pests when their populations expand in agricultural areas. They may be smoked from their burrows and hunted with spears. This has seen them eradicated from areas of human agricultural activity in some areas of its range.
Even so it is not regarded as under threat and is not listed on the Endangered Species List. The reduction in numbers of its potential enemies such as lions and leopards has benefited the porcupine
In many ways it can be seen as an example of a species more than holding its own and because of the absence of predators expanding its range though the possible consequences of such increases cannot yet be determined.
In the past in many other areas over-population of one species caused by the demise of its predators has caused imbalances that have had dire consequences on other species of fauna and flora. While it may seem beneficial to the porcupine it may be disastrous for other species.
© 22/10/2009 zteve t evans
References and Attributions
Copyright zteve t evans October 22, 2009
Copyright zteve t evans October 22, 2009
- File:African crested Porcupine -Hystrix cristata-.jpg From Wikimedia Commons -
- African crested Porcupine {Hystrix cristata} - Author: Drew Avery - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic licence.
- File:African crested Porcupine -Hystrix cristata- 2.jpg From Wikimedia Commons - African crested Porcupine {Hystrix cristata} - Author: Drew Avery - Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic licence
- Crested porcupine From Wikipedia
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Hystrix cristata
- African Wildlife Foundation - Porcupine