Porcupine - the life of a rodent, the legend of throwing quills, photos, videos. American Porcupines Picture of a North American Porcupine

International scientific name

Erethizon dorsatum Linnaeus, 1758

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Taxonomy
on Wikispecies

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on Wikimedia Commons

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Appearance

The North American porcupine is the second largest rodent in North America after the beaver: its body length is 60-90 cm, its thick tail is up to 30 cm long; weight 5-14 kg. The body from head to tail is covered with yellowish-white jagged needles (up to 30 thousand pieces) with black or brown ends. The guard hairs are slightly longer than the spines. The contrasting black and white coloring should alert potential attackers to the danger.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The North American porcupine is distributed in forested areas of North America from Alaska to northern Mexico. It can be found in a variety of landscapes - from tundra to semi-desert, although it prefers coniferous and aspen forests. In different areas, porcupines can live both primarily in trees and dens, climbing trees only to feed. How much time they spend on the ground depends on the number of predators and the density of "edible" ground vegetation in the area. The lifestyle is predominantly solitary, although in winter porcupines sometimes settle several individuals in one shelter and feed in groups of up to 20 individuals. It is active all year round, at night.

It feeds on all types of plant foods - bark, acorns and nuts, young leaves, herbs and, especially readily, apples. Often it gnaws on the same tree (for example, a sugar maple) for several days. Loves salt very much.

The North American porcupine has a very unique defense system. In case of danger, he first of all tries to climb a tree. If this is not possible, the North American porcupine takes a defensive pose - it raises its quills threateningly and begins to beat from side to side with its powerful and strong tail, while simultaneously snapping its teeth. The raised quills do not sit firmly - this allows the porcupine to quickly free itself if the predator does attack. Few predators risk "messing" with a porcupine; It is primarily hunted by ilka, wolverine and cougar. When attacking a porcupine, they try to knock it over onto its back in order to grab onto its unprotected belly.

Porcupine needles are coated with specific fatty acids, and their concentration is higher in summer than in winter. About half is palmitic acid, other components include palmitoleic, isopalmitic, oleic; Another 10 components account for about 5% of the mass of the fraction. All of them have bactericidal properties. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the animal loves to climb trees, and sometimes it can fall and be seriously injured from its own weapons. The bactericidal lubricant thus protects it from infections in such cases.

Reproduction

The mating season is in October-November. At this time, females make high-pitched, falsetto sounds, calling males. Porcupines are polygamous, with a male taking turns mating with several females. After 210 days of pregnancy, in April-June the female gives birth to a single calf - well developed, sighted and large. The weight of a newborn is 400-500 g. Half an hour after birth, his needles harden. From the first day of life, he follows his mother and demonstrates well all the typical defensive reactions. Milk feeding is repeated frequently. When feeding, the female sits down, leaning on her thighs and tail. The female and the cub usually meet only at night; during the day he hides on the ground while she sleeps in a tree. The cub becomes independent at the 5th month. Females reach sexual maturity at the 25th month, males at the 29th month.

A porcupine lives up to 18 years, but in nature on average up to 6 years, due to the grinding of its teeth.

Economic importance

The animal does not cause any noticeable harm. Gnaws the bark of trees, including some fruit and ornamental ones. In search of salt in winter, it takes to roads sprinkled with anti-icing salt; can chew unattended tools with wooden handles, boat oars, saddles, and car tires.

American Indians consumed porcupine meat as food, and used the quills to decorate hunting bags, moccasins, and other items.

Porcupine or North American porcupine

Like other species belonging to the porcupine family, their North American relative spends most of his life on trees, the leaves and bark of which he feeds on. Nature has endowed him with sharp claws and bare paw pads, thanks to which he perfectly maintains balance on branches.

Location

Habitat: forests of North America from Eastern Alaska and Newfoundland in the north to Tennessee and Northern Mexico in the south. The North American porcupine prefers mixed forests, but, if necessary, adapts to other, different conditions, for example, sandy deserts, shrubs and even open spaces of the tundra. He sleeps all day long, curled up in a ball, in the forks of trees or in rock crevices. Each animal has several such shelters located at different ends of the territory. At dawn, Porcupine goes to the nearest hole. This is a conservative animal, it uses proven paths and leaves noticeable tracks on soft ground or snow. In particularly harsh winters, the Porcupine spends several days without leaving its shelter or leaves it for only a few minutes. In the summer, he decides to move some distance from the hole, but usually rarely crosses the boundaries of his possessions. In winter, the animals are in a group. Porcupine males, which lead a solitary lifestyle for most of the year, go out in search of partners towards the end of autumn or early winter. Their eyesight is poor, but their hearing and sense of smell are well developed.
For the first white settlers of North America, porcupines were a desirable and easily accessible prey, one of the main sources of food. They hunt it for meat even today. Previously, the Indians used porcupine needles to make a variety of jewelry. Nowadays, people, especially foresters, are fighting against porcupine because it feeds on the bark of trees, and this leads to the death of plants. In some areas, they are trying to limit the number of porcupines by introducing their natural enemy, the pecan. Pecan manages to defeat the porcupine: he lies in wait for the animal, which suspects nothing, then with a sudden throw he turns it over on its back and bites its teeth into the stomach or chest.

Interesting facts from the life of Porcupine:

An adult porcupine has about 30,000 spines.
Porcupine begins to gnaw a tree from the top: first it gnaws the branches, then it takes hold of the trunk. Some forests that contain large numbers of porcupines look as if they have been burned by fire.
Porcupine loves salt, so it gnaws on the salty-tasting handles of agricultural implements.
Porcupine builds its nest in the crowns of trees, sometimes even at a height of 6 m.
Needles: straighten in case of danger. They have small jagged edges that dig into the attacker's skin.
Pecan: is one of the few predators that the Porcupine must be wary of.
Palms: the pads on them are bare and hard, and long sharp claws help them climb tree trunks.

These spiny representatives of the rodent order have settled throughout the world. They can be found in Africa, South and North America, Asian countries and even in Europe. Representatives of different continents differ in their appearance and habits. The habitats of the porcupine are usually reflected in the name of the species: South African, Indian, Malayan, Javanese, North American.

Spiny rodent

The main feature of the porcupine is the quills that cover its back. They give the animal a menacing and frightening appearance; this is precisely the goal that nature pursued when creating this beast. The rodent, whose average weight is about 13 kg and length is approximately 80 cm, carries up to 30 thousand needles. In places where porcupines live, there used to be legends that the animals shoot at the enemy with these poisonous quills. In fact, light needles, up to 250 grams, simply get lost and fall off when walking over rough terrain. Their toxicity is also highly questionable, although the injection is quite painful and can cause inflammation in humans.

The air-filled quills serve as floats for the porcupine, allowing them to swim successfully. The exotic outfit, given by nature to the animal for protection, became its enemy in the human environment. It is because of the colorful and long needles that are used for decoration that these animals are most often exterminated. Porcupine meat is considered a delicacy.

Porcupine habitat

Spiny animals are considered more mountain animals. They can build long burrows with many corridors in caves and mountain voids, but they also successfully dig themselves. Settlements of some species can be found in the steppes and foothills, but even here they choose places with ravines and slopes.

The porcupine is not a predator. The diet consists of roots, fruits and berries of plants in the area where porcupines live in nature. These vegetarians are not averse to profiting from fruits from the garden and often raid peasant farmsteads. Porcupines climb trees well, are nocturnal, and sleep during the day. Strong teeth allow the rodent to tear off bark and gnaw wood, so much so that it will destroy up to a hundred plantings over the winter.

Crested porcupine or crested porcupine

This type of echinoderm is the most common and typical, also called Asian. Quite a large representative of its kind. There are males weighing 25-27 kg. The length of the body is up to a meter, plus 10-15 cm - the tail. The beautiful coloring is made up of alternating needles of black-brown and white colors. Where do crested porcupines live? Their distribution covers almost the entire Middle Eastern region to the southernmost regions of China, India, and Sri Lanka. It is also found in some countries of Southeast Asia, in

Asians eat greens: grass and leaves, and are not averse to stealing grapes, apples, and cucumbers from gardens. Therefore, they settle closer to the cultivated areas. In winter they switch to tree bark.

African echinoderms

The largest of the African rodents, the South African porcupine reaches 63-80 cm in length and weighs from 1 to 24 kg. It is distinguished by long, up to 50 cm, spines and a white line running along the croup. The quills on the tail are collected in an elegant bunch. Where does the porcupine live? Continent Africa, its southern part, is the homeland of the animal.

Another representative of this continent is the African brush-tailed porcupine. Its range covers the countries of the central part of the continent and the island of Fernando Po. It is named brush-tailed because of the light hair brush at the end of its bare, scaly tail. This echinoderm rodent swims well, and in addition to the usual plant food, it also eats small insects.

Indian porcupine

In appearance, this animal is similar to an ordinary Asian rodent, has a beautiful black-brown-white color, a black head and paws. This is the most unpretentious species of porcupines: animals live in the highlands, in forests, in steppe regions, and even in semi-deserts. They eat everything vegetable, roots and bulbs. Despite the Indian name, it thrives in the Caucasus mountains, Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

Sumatra and Borneo

In the forests and agricultural lands of Sumatra there is an atypical representative of this family: the long-tailed porcupine. Its difference from its fellows is manifested in the fact that it has very thin and flexible needles, which from a distance look like thick brown bristles. They are located in the back of the body, closer to the tail. The whole appearance of this porcupine resembles an ordinary large rat. Long-tailed individuals climb trees and bushes well; they love bamboo shoots, fruits, and pineapples.

There is also a Sumatran porcupine, which lives only in this place. This animal is relatively smaller than its relatives. The maximum length of the Sumatran endemic is 56 cm, the largest weight is 5.4 kg. Its appearance is similar to a long-tailed one - the same thin needles, more reminiscent of bristles. The color is also brown, but the ends of the bristles are white.

The rigid-spined porcupine is considered to be native to Borneo. Its appearance allows us to attribute it to the relatives of the Sumatran representative, but its needles are harder and larger in size. In addition to their usual habitats in forests and mountains, these animals can also be found in cities, where they feed on greenery and fruits in parks and squares.

Where do porcupines live in America?

Spineworts, which live on both American continents, are very similar in appearance to their typical tropical relatives, but are smaller in size and weight. This is a mini-copy of real porcupines, more reminiscent of a hedgehog. Americans are evenly covered with spines and do not have particularly long spines in the back.

North American porcupines live in the United States and Canada. They hid their spines under a thick coat of fur. This is the only North American species.

The southern continent has a large species diversity. American porcupines are called arboreal, they deftly climb trees, some settle there for permanent residence in nests or hollows. There are species with tenacious tails up to 45 cm long, with which they cling to branches and bushes.

Are there porcupines in Europe?

Rodents with spines are not typical representatives of the European fauna, but nevertheless, there are places in Europe where porcupines live. In what country did these heat-loving animals find a place for themselves? Families of these thorn bearers can be found in Greece, Italy, and Sicily. Common or crested porcupines have lived here for a long time. Scientists debate whether the introduction of porcupines to this area was an evolutionary process, or whether they were brought by the ancient Romans, who were big fans of porcupine meat. On the territory of Russia, crested porcupines can be found in the South-Eastern Caucasus.

Porcupine is a mammal that belongs to the order of rodents, the porcupine family (Hystricidae).

In the classification of rodents, there is a separate family of arboreal or American porcupines (Erethizontidae), which live in North and South America. Outwardly, they are similar to animals from the porcupine family, but differ in their smaller size and shorter quills on the back of the back.

This article describes only the porcupine family.

Does a porcupine shoot quills or not?

Many people believe that the porcupine shoots quills at its enemies. In fact, this is a misconception based on the fact that porcupine quills do not adhere well to the animal’s body and are easily lost. But the porcupine cannot shoot them due to the absence of any anatomical adaptations and the shape of the quills themselves, which in any case are slightly curved and cannot be stabilized in flight. And the lightning-fast throw of an attacking porcupine, turning its back to the enemy and a sharp rebound back create the feeling that the animal has inserted a needle as if from some distance.

Poisonous porcupine quills are another common myth. The wounds from the injection are actually quite painful and take a long time to heal, which is not surprising, because the sharp quills of a porcupine can pierce even a boot. In addition, dirt usually accumulates on the quills, and the inflammation is caused not by the mythical porcupine poison, but by infection. In addition, porcupine quills are quite fragile, and debris may remain in the wound, causing suppuration.

Where does the porcupine live?

Porcupines live in Europe, North America (USA and Canada), South America, African countries, Southeast and Central Asia, India, and Transcaucasia. Representatives of the porcupine family inhabit a wide variety of biotopes: from tropical and subtropical forests to savannas, deserts and mountainous regions. Many species settle near human habitation and feed on agricultural lands.

The porcupine is a nocturnal animal; during the day it usually hides in rock crevices, caves, abandoned dens of other animals, or self-dug holes. The length of a porcupine burrow can reach 10 m, and the depth up to 4 m. The burrow usually has several “rooms”, holes, one of which is necessarily lined with fresh grass. Porcupines do not hibernate, but in winter the activity of the animals noticeably decreases, and they spend most of their time in their home.

Porcupines feed in the dead of night, moving several kilometers from their shelter in search of food. These rodents are not too afraid of people, so they often visit local cultivated lands - fields and melon fields, where they happily eat the fruits of human labor: watermelons, melons, and many other crops. In places where animals regularly exercise, noticeably trodden paths remain, along which an experienced tracker can easily find the animals’ shelter.

Porcupines feed mainly in pairs: the male and female walk side by side at a distance of about 30-50 cm from each other, and the male always stays slightly behind his companion. The porcupine is predominantly a herbivore: among the species there are true vegetarians, although some individuals occasionally, but with pleasure, eat various insects, other invertebrates and their larvae. According to experts, in this way animals replenish the deficiency of mineral salts in the body.

The plant food of a porcupine is all parts of plants: rhizomes, tubers, shoots, leaves, and fruits. In the cold season, porcupines eat especially a lot of tree bark.

Classification of porcupines

Soviet sources identify 4 genera of porcupines:

Atherurus (Brush-tailed porcupines),
Hystrix (Porcupines),
Thecurus (Indonesian porcupines, landakis),
Trichys (Long-tailed porcupines).

Some Russian sources list 5 genera, including the genus Acanthion (Malayan porcupines).

Foreign sources identify only 3 genera of porcupines, excluding the genus Acanthion and Thecurus:

Genus Brush-tailed porcupines ( Atherurus)
- Atherurus africanus)
- Asian brush-tailed porcupine ( Atherurus macrourus)
Genus Porcupines ( Hystrix)
- Malayan porcupine ( Hystrix brachyura)
- Javan porcupine ( Hystrix javanica)
- South African porcupine ( Hystrix africaeaustralis)
- Crested (crested) porcupine ( Hystrix cristata)
- Indian porcupine ( Hystrix indica)
- Stiff-spined porcupine ( Hystrix crassispinis)
- Philippine porcupine ( Hystrix pumila)
- Sumatran porcupine ( Hystrix sumatrae)
Genus Long-tailed porcupines ( Trichys)
- Long-tailed porcupine ( Trichys fasciculata)

Types of porcupines, photos and names

Below is a description of several varieties of porcupines:

Malayan porcupine ( Hystrix brachyura)

quite a large and thick rodent. An adult animal grows in length up to 63-72.5 cm, while the weight of a porcupine varies from 700 g to 2.4 kg. The length of the tail is 6-11 cm, the color of the needles can be black and white or yellowish. Females give birth 2 times a year; there are usually 2-3 cubs in a litter. In nature, the Malayan porcupine feeds on bark, tubers and rhizomes of plants, and fallen fruits. A small part of the diet consists of invertebrates and carrion. Representatives of the species prefer to settle in forests and in lands cultivated by humans at an altitude of about 1.3 km above sea level. Malayan porcupines live in Nepal, Northeast India, Central and Southern China, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Singapore), including on the Malaysian peninsula, as well as on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo .

South African porcupine ( Hystrix africaeaustralis)

Africa's largest rodent. The length of mature individuals is 63-80.5 cm with a porcupine body weight of 10 to 24.1 kg, with females being slightly heavier than males. The porcupine's tail grows to a length of 10.5-13 cm. A distinctive feature of the species is the white line running along the croup. The body of the porcupine is covered with spines up to 50 cm long, defensive needles up to 30 cm long and flat bristly hairs. The tail is decorated with a bunch of modified, hollow inside needles. Females breed once a year, bearing from 1 to 3 cubs weighing from 300 to 440 g. Representatives of the species are vegetarians who consume exclusively plant foods: leaves, shoots, plant rhizomes, bulbs, fallen fruits, and occasionally tree bark. In the wild, porcupines live about 10 years, in captivity 2 times longer. The South African porcupine lives in South Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Kenya and many other countries. The porcupine lives in all plant landscapes, with the exception of forested areas, and rises to mountains no higher than 2 thousand meters above sea level.

Crested porcupine, aka crested porcupine ( Hystrix cristata)

a large rodent, second in size only to the South American capybara and beaver. The name of the species comes from the hard crest adorning the animal’s head. The crested porcupine is the most common member of the family, so it is often called simply the porcupine. The length of adult individuals excluding the tail can reach 90 cm, the tail grows up to 10-15 cm. Well-fed male porcupines can weigh up to 27 kg, but on average the weight of rodents does not exceed 8-12 kg. The stocky body of the porcupine is densely studded with short and long quills, with alternating black-brown and white colors. The longest needles are relatively thin and grow up to 40 cm, the short needles are about 15-30 cm long, but reach a diameter of 4.5-5 mm. Between the long, sharp needles, which often fall out, there are hard, bristle-like hairs. In the middle of the back, the porcupine's quills are the sharpest and longest; on the sides, shoulders and sacrum the quills are short and blunt. The northern part of the population breeds in early spring, and females bring 2-3, and sometimes 5 cubs once a year. Representatives of the species living in the south mate all year round, and females bear offspring two to three times a year. Crested porcupines are predominantly herbivorous rodents; in the warm season they feed on the green mass of plants. During the ripening of the crop, cucumbers, pumpkin, melons, watermelons, grapes and alfalfa are added to the diet. In winter, tree bark is used as food; porcupines rarely eat insects. Animals live in mountainous areas and foothills, on cultivated soils, and are sometimes found on desert sandy landscapes. Representatives of the species are widespread throughout almost the entire Middle East, including Iran and Iraq and further east, all the way to Southern China. They are found throughout India, living in Sri Lanka and some countries in Southeast Asia. Crested porcupines also live here and there in the southern and western parts of the Arabian Peninsula. In addition, the species’ range covers mainland Italy and the island of Sicily.

Indian porcupine ( Hystrix indica)

a fairly large species of porcupine with a body weight of about 15-18 kg and a length of up to 90 cm. In the Indian porcupine, like in most species, the quills are colored with black and white belts, which gives the impression of a variegated white-black-brown color. The belly and head are colored black-brown. The diet of rodents consists of various plant foods, with particular preference given to succulent bulbs and rhizomes of plants. Females breed 1-2 times a year, and the brood consists of 1-4 cubs. Indian porcupines are not picky in terms of habitat and are found in forests, savannas, deserts and mountainous landscapes at altitudes of up to 3.9 km above sea level. Despite the specific name, the species' range covers not only India, but also almost the entire southern territory of Asia - from the eastern part of Transcaucasia to Kazakhstan, Central and Southeast Asia.

Javan porcupine ( Hystrix javanica)

an endemic species, whose representatives live only in Indonesia on the islands of Java, Bali, Sumbawa, Flores, Lombok, Madura. Rodents were probably brought to the island of Sulawesi from the island of Flores.

Stiff-spined porcupine ( Hystrix crassispinis)

endemic to the island of Borneo, armed with especially strong and tough needles. These rodents are very similar in appearance to a closely related species, the Sumatran porcupine, living on the island of Sumatra, but they are larger in size and have thicker quills. The rough-spined porcupine lives in forests, mountainous landscapes up to 1.2 km above sea level, on cultivated lands and even in cities. The porcupine feeds on plants and also eats fallen fruits.

Sumatran porcupine ( Hystrix sumatrae)

lives only on the island of Sumatra. Initially, it was part of the species of rigid-spined porcupines, but was later separated into an independent species due to its smaller body size and thinner quills. Adults grow to 45-56 cm in length and weigh from 3.8 to 5.4 kg, the tail length ranges from 2.5 to 19 cm. Sharp flat spines, ordinary hollow spines and numerous stiff bristles grow on the body of rodents. The length of the porcupine's bristles and quills does not exceed 16 cm. The general color of the animal is brown, but approximately ½ of the quills and bristles have white ends. The underside of the neck of rodents may be covered with white spots. The Sumatran porcupine feeds on various types of plants, prefers to settle in forests and rocky landscapes, and sometimes climbs mountains no higher than 300 m above sea level.

Its needles are of medium length, and most of them are concentrated in the back of the body. The back of the animal is brown, the belly is whitish. The body length of adult individuals reaches 35-48 cm, and the weight of the porcupine ranges from 1.5 to 2.25 kg. These porcupines have a long, scaly, brown tail that grows from 17.5 to 23 cm in length and is easily torn off, so many adults, especially females, are often tailless. Long-tailed porcupines climb bushes and trees well. The diet of rodents consists mainly of plant foods; animals give particular preference to various fruits and seeds, young bamboo shoots, they are also very fond of bamboo, and invertebrates are consumed extremely rarely. Long-tailed porcupines live on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, settling in forests and farmland.

African brush-tailed porcupine ( Atherurus africanus)

a fairly common species of large rodents belonging to the genus of brush-tailed porcupines (Atherurus). The size of adult porcupines varies from 40 to 60 cm, and the length of their tail is not inferior to long-tailed porcupines and is about 15-25 cm. The skin of animals is covered with thin spines, among which there are long and thick quills. These porcupines received their specific name due to a special brush at the tip of the tail, which consists of thick hairs and is a kind of whitish or light brown brush. In the middle the tail is bare, scaly, and studded with needles at the base. The African brush-tailed porcupine lives in forests near rivers and lakes, can swim well and feeds on various vegetation, roots, tubers, and insects. The species' range extends across Central Africa south of Senegal, passes through the countries of the Gulf of Guinea (Nigeria, Ghana, Gabon) to the mouth of the Congo River, and also covers the Fernando Po Islands.

Appearance

Lifestyle and nutrition

The North American porcupine has a very unique defense system. In case of danger, he first of all tries to climb a tree. If this is not possible, the North American porcupine takes a defensive pose - it raises its quills threateningly and begins to beat from side to side with its tail, while simultaneously snapping its teeth. The raised quills do not sit firmly - this allows the porcupine to quickly free itself if the predator does attack. Few predators risk "messing" with a porcupine; It is primarily hunted by ilka, wolverine and cougar. When attacking a porcupine, they try to knock it over onto its back in order to grab onto its unprotected belly.

Reproduction

A porcupine lives up to 18 years, but in nature on average up to 6 years, due to the grinding of its teeth.

Economic importance

American Indians consumed porcupine meat as food, and used quills to decorate hunting bags, boots and other items.

Porcupine - the life of a rodent, the legend of throwing quills, photos, videos. American Porcupines Picture of a North American Porcupine

Appearance

Lifestyle and nutrition

Reproduction

Economic importance

Spiny rodent

Porcupine habitat

Crested porcupine or crested porcupine

African echinoderms

Indian porcupine

Sumatra and Borneo

Where do porcupines live in America?

Are there porcupines in Europe?

Does a porcupine shoot quills or not?

Where does the porcupine live?

Classification of porcupines

Types of porcupines, photos and names

Appearance

Lifestyle and nutrition

Reproduction

Economic importance

Notes

see also

See what "North American porcupine" is in other dictionaries: