[2], They are heavily built animals, with stocky bodies, short limbs, and an inconspicuous tail. Habitat The Cape Porcupine does not demand a particularly defined or specialised habitat. The Internet connection is missing right now, but you're able to browse previously opened pages offline. North American porcupines also eat fruit, leaves, and springtime buds. From the head to the base of it’s tail, a cape porcupine measures between 63 and 81cm (25 and 32in) long. Predators of the cape porcupine include big cats, hyenas and large birds. Kilimanjaro, as high up as 3,500 meters (11,480 feet). Their most noticeable feature is the quills and spines which extend from their back. Porcupines build dens that can have a living chamber of 20 m and 2 m deep. Porcupines have natural antibiotics in their skin and are the only mammals native to North America to have such p. PicFacts. [15] They are weaned at around 100 days of age,[13] and grow rapidly for the first twenty weeks, reaching the full adult size, and sexual maturity, at the end of their first year. Porcupines reside in natural shelters near roots and rocks, inside holes made by each other or holes they dig themselves. Cape Porcupines are found from sea level to 2000 m above sea level in most areas with vegetation. The remainder of the animal, including the undersides, is covered with dark hair. Following a successful mating it will take 94 days for the offspring to be born. They are hunted by farmers when they dig up crops. Their tail increases this length by 11-20cm (4.3-7.9in). Sexual size monomorphism in the crested porcupine (. Africa is the native home of the cape porcupine. They live in small groups consisting of a monogamous pair and their young who share a den. Porcupines are most common in hilly, rocky country, but they can adapt to most habitats — excessively moist forests and the most barren of deserts seem to be the only exceptions. In general, porcupines live in just about any terrain, including deserts, grasslands, mountains, rainforests and forests. However, they are absent in swamplands, and are very seldom found in very arid areas or in dense forests. Part of their ability to have a wide range is a tolerance for both hot and cold. Cape porcupines are one of the world’s largest porcupine species. temperate. Characteristics: Cape porcupines are one of the world’s largest porcupine species. [5], This article is about an African porcupine. The Cape porcupine is found in many different habitats, and the only areas it seems to avoid are very dense forests, the driest deserts and swamplands. Pairs will mate for life with both parents involved in the care of the offspring. Distribution and habitat. Scott (BM12), a dominant male leopard in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, stalking a porcupine. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T10748A115099085. They prefer rocky hills and outcrops, as they must have shelter during the day. PicFacts(1-500) PicFacts(501-1000) PicFacts(1001-1500) PicFacts(1501-2000) Cape porcupines mate throughout the year, although births are most common during the rainy season, between August and March. Cape porcupines are found across the whole of southern and central Africa, to southern Kenya, Uganda, and Congo at the northern edge of their range. 1-5 Interesting Facts About Porcupine 1. Perth Zoo Crocodile Enjoys His First Meal After Winter, Orana Wildlife Park Welcome Back Sumatran Tigers, Holly the Rescued Wombat is a Christmas Miracle. Baboons do not form a major part of their diet. The cape porcupine is a nocturnal animal. Cape leopards mainly target rock rabbits (dassies), klipspringers, Cape grysbok and porcupines. Males and females are similar in size. One habitat which is avoided are swamps. There are no currently recognised subspecies. These are long and measure up to 30cm (11.8in) long for quills and 50cm (20in) for spines. When it is cold the group will huddle in their burrow for warmth. Porcupine Habitat African porcupines prefer rocky outcrops and hills as their habitat, needing shelter in the day. Weaning does not occur till between their third and fourth month. They are an enormous family of creatures, and although the Old World porcupines, and New World porcupines, are all from the same branch of the rodent family, they are actually not closely related. Hystrix africaeaustralis (errata version published in 2017). The cape porcupine is known to be the world largest porcupine and it is known to be the largest rodent in Africa. Cape Porcupine, Newfoundland and Labrador, "Aspects of the digestion in the Cape porcupine", "Reproduction in captive female Cape porcupines (. The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa. New World and Old World porcupines occupy a wide range of habitats. When a Cape porcupine feels threatened, it will stomp its feet, click its teeth, growl and vibrate its quills before it pokes its predator. Habitat. Download Zoo Map. The Cape Porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis)- or the old world porcupines are members of the “Shy Five” Appearance. They can stab an attacker with these quills to defend themselves. If cornered, it turns vicious and charges to stab its attacker with its quills. Facts About the Porcupine. This locks them in the den so they are not able to be dislodged. The porcupette eventually leaves its mother after six months. Hystrix africaeaustralis (errata version published in 2017). Cape porcupines achieve sexual maturity at 2 years old in females and between 8 and 18 months for males. Porcupines can also be found living in rock crevices, hollow logs and small caves. Rodents are mammals including rats, mice, porcupines, beavers, and more. During the day, they will either build their own den or shelter in a cave or crevice. Dig holes that open up soil surface, allowing water to seep into ground and new plants to grow (Bragg et al. (eds. They also build dens which can … They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from sea level to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), although they are only marginally present in dense forests and the driest of deserts, and are not found in swampland. Habitat. When born, their quills are soft and sensitive bristles. Location: The Desert. Its proportions are not as attractive as its animal itself. COMMON NAME: Cape Porcupine SCIENTIFIC NAME: Hystrix africaeaustralis TYPE: Mammal DIET: Herbivore GROUP NAME: Prickle. They often take shelter in caves or antbear ( Orycteropus afer) holes. Porcupine Mountains Music Festival; from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs administered through the Copper Country Community Arts Council... U.P. Both the male and female cape porcupines grow to about two feet long and weigh up to 60 pounds. [13] Newborn young weigh 300 to 440 grams (11 to 16 oz), and initially have soft quills. Cape Porcupine facts – The Cape porcupine is believed to grow up to about one meter long and it weighs 20 kilograms. The porcupine grows new spines and quills to … These harden as they grow. In some areas they are known to eat carrion. The feet have five clawed toes, although the first toes on the forefeet are vestigial. Share . They can be found from areas at sea level to 2000 m above where there is vegetation. Walk among free-flight birds, towering saguaros and watch the racing roadrunners. They collect bones which they gnaw on. On each foot is five toes each with a claw. Females have two pairs of teats.[5]. Their teeth are continuously growing so they can rip through plant material. They are a large species of rodent covered by black, but mostly white spines, used for protection and can … They are highly adaptable and can survive just about anywhere that vegetation is available. Twitter. They can inhabit a wide range of habitats from tropical forests to deserts. ( Nowak, 1999; Smithers, 1983; Storch, 1990) Habitat Regions. Cassola, F. 2016. "Reproductive biology of the male Cape porcupine, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cape_porcupine&oldid=967452516, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from June 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 July 2020, at 09:53. 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. Both the male and female African Porcupines weigh from 10 to 24 kilograms (22 to 53 pounds) with very large specicimens weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb). They may also hide in a burrow and puff their quills out to full size. Burnie, D.; Wilson, D. E. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. It will be another three to five months after weaning before the mother gives birth again. The spines and quills cover the back and flanks of the animal, starting about a third of the way down the body, and continuing onto the tail. [13] After mating, a copulatory plug forms, which is expelled about 48 hours later. Contrary to popular belief, a porcupine cannot shoot its spines and quills. Plant material takes up most of its diet and it typically feeds on bark, roots, bulbs, tubers and fruit. Email. Cape porcupines eat mostly plant material: fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark. They also build dens which can be up to 20m long with a 2m deep living chamber. When threatened, the Cape porcupine erects its spines and quills to look bigger. They weigh from 10 to 24 kilograms (22 to 53 pounds), with exceptionally large specimens weighing up to … When the female comes into estrus (heat) in late fall, her scent can attract numerous suitors who may fight for hours to win her favor. Predators of the cape porcupine include big cats. They are often considered pests by local farmers, because they can feed on crops and damage trees. They reach their full size by the end of their first year of life. They can be found in altitudes up to 12,100 ft. high. Porcupine habitats range from deserts, forests and grasslands. [16], Relative to most other rodents, Cape porcupines are long-lived, surviving for ten years in the wild, or up to twenty years in captivity. [5] The average weight of males from Zimbabwe was 16.9 kg (37 lb) and while the average for females there was 18.4 kg (41 lb) while in the Orange river valley of South Africa males averaged 12.3 kg (27 lb) and females averaged 13 kg (29 lb). Breeding takes place between May and December in the wild while in captivity they will breed year-round. The body is covered in long spines up to 50 centimetres (20 in) in length, interspersed with thicker, sharply pointed, defence quills up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long, and with bristly, blackish or brownish fur. Cape porcupines, also called South African porcupines, are common throughout central and southern Africa. Indian porcupines are almost the same size on average as well, being slightly heavier on average than crested porcupine but slightly lighter than Cape porcupines. If attacked they move sideways and backwards to dig their quills in to the attacker. The quills are modified hairs and if they fall out they will grow back. 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