Crested Porcupine
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| Crested Porcupine | ||||||||||||||||
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 Crested porcupine in captivity
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| Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758 |
The Crested Porcupine, also known as the European Porcupine, African Porcupine, or North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), is a member of the Old World porcupine family. It is a nocturnal rodent that lives on the ground and is found from Sicily, Italy, the northern coast of Africa south to Tanzania and northern Congo. It is tolerant of a range of habitats including mountains, deserts, and forests.
The Crested Porcupine grows 60-83 cm long with a tail 8-17 cm long and weighs 13-27 kg. It is covered in quills. It can live up to 21 years in captivity.
The porcupine uses its tail as a form of defence. The small spines can deter predators.
[edit] References
- Grubb (2004). Hystrix cristata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
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