Still, like their northern relative, these tropical porcupines move slowly and are unable to jump, so they must descend to the ground to cross gaps between trees. Porcupine definition is - any of various relatively large slow-moving chiefly herbivorous rodents having sharp erectile spines mingled with the hair and constituting an Old World terrestrial family (Hystricidae) and a New World chiefly arboreal family (Erethizontidae). You can be an incredible ally for conservation! The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is the largest species in the family, usually weighing less than 7 kg (15.4 pounds) though males occasionally grow significantly larger. Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute 3001 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20008, PO Box 37012 MRC 5516 Atherurus species also have specialized hollow quills that are used as rattles. Breeding season is fall and early winter. It has been almost 10 years since moose hunting in those areas were closed. The long quills along head, nape, and back can be erected into a crest. The hidden hunt for the origins of COVID-19 shows how the Chinese government has tried to steer the narrative. Its range extends from Canada to northern Mexico, although it is absent from the southeastern United States. Archbold Curator Emeritus Vertebrate Zoology and Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, U.S. Where can you find a capybara? They conduct an elaborate courtship involving extensive vocalizations, a courtship dance, and the male usually showers the female with urine before mating. On the ground the porcupine ambles along and cannot jump; in the trees it climbs slowly but has excellent balance; in the water it swims well. In the spring and summer, porcupines shift to eating berries, seeds, grasses, leaves, roots and stems. Daryln Brewer Hoffstot. It will roost in trees but also dens in hollow trees, logs, or stumps, in addition to caves, rock crevices, burrows, or snowbanks. Base coloration ranges from grayish brown through dark brown to blackish, but this colouring is overlaid by variegated patterns of white, yellow, orange, or black due to bands on the spines. Washington, DC 20013. The porcupine's most famous feature—the quill—is hollow, 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 centimeters) in length, and lightly attached to the porcupine's skin. Corrections? Porcupines are more likely to flee predators, but if cornered, it will erect its quills, turn its back to the attacker and lash its barbed tail. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. At the time, the MMF agreed with the moratorium. Spines of Old World porcupines are flattened, grooved, and flexible or long, hollow, and sharp. Like the North American porcupine, they gnaw antlers and bones to supplement their herbivorous diet, which includes the underground portions of plants, fallen fruits, and cultivated crops in addition to bark. Their fur ranges in color from brownish-yellow to black, and they sport white highlights in their quills. Categories: Nature. By becoming a member, you'll help the Zoo save species and get great benefits for you and your family each time you visit! Their muzzles are large and rounded. Don't miss out on your shot at Michigan… Porcupines are generalists, eating a wide range of plant material. She has a master's of fine arts in writing from Bennington College. They are also good swimmers. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Young (called porcupettes) are born in the spring/early summer. Short-tailed porcupines (genus Hystrix) are the largest, weighing up to 30 kg, with bodies almost a metre long and a tail 8–17 cm long. Are you a hunter? Their diet changes seasonally. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Daryln Brewer Hoffstot is a freelance writer. Please select which sections you would like to print: While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Cut down on the demand for resources by consuming less. The hollow quills of New World porcupines are sharp, stiff, and circular in cross section and have barbed tips. The hidden hunt for the origins of COVID-19 shows how the Chinese government has tried to steer the narrative. Porcupines are covered in about 30,000 quills. Omissions? They are generally solitary but sometimes den in groups. Pure Michigan Hunt applications are on sale from March 1 - December 31. Quills are not thrown or shot, as popularly conceived. No matter the season or location in South Dakota, outdoor activities are aplenty. Even when our gates are closed, we are still here, working as always to save species. In winter, evergreen needles and the cambium layer and inner bark of trees become important sources of food. Hunting is the practice of seeking, pursuing and capturing or killing wild animals. Porcupine, any of 25 species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn. They are also good swimmers. Share the story of this animal with others. They weigh around 20 pounds (9 kilograms) and are 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) in length. The search started in the Huanan Seafood market in Wuhan, a sprawling, low-slung complex where many of the first human coronavirus cases were detected. Educational Activities You Can Do at Home, About the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, The Decade’s Top 5 Spot-acular Cheetah Program Milestones, #PandaStory: A Short and Sweet (Potato) Update, Caring for Wallabies: Stories from a Real-Life Zoo Guardian. New World porcupines bear usually one young, sometimes two, after about 200 days’ gestation. Because quills are so lightly attached, they come off easily when a predator encounters them. When the quills enter the skin of a predator, they work their way further into the skin at a rate of 1 mm an hour. Porcupine, any of 25 species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn. Quills are not thrown or shot, as popularly conceived. They move slowly in a ponderous walk but will break into a trot or gallop when alarmed. Often sheltering in holes, rock crevices, or aardvark burrows, Hystrix species also excavate burrows of their own that can become extensive over years of occupation. Porcupines are targeted by the timber and agriculture industry due to certain destructive behaviors. This species lives in Italy and Sicily, where it may have been introduced by man, and in Britain, where it was certainly introduced. New World porcupines primarily eat fruit at night and rest during the day in hollow trees or crouch on branches or in tangles of woody vines. North American porcupines are native to the coniferous and mixed-forest habitats of Canada, the northeastern and western regions of the United States and northern Mexico. The quills, or spines, take various forms depending on the species, but all are modified All have short, stocky legs, but their tails range from short to long, with some being prehensile. Brush-tailed porcupines (genus Atherurus) move swiftly over the ground and can climb, jump, and swim. In the wild, they are known to live as long as 18 years. European populations of the African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) retreat into their dens during storms and cold spells, but they do not hibernate. Find resources to engage learners in grades preK-12 with science, the natural world, wildlife and conservation. Hystrix species have large rattle quills on the tail that are large, hollow, and shaped like elongated stemmed goblets. While porcupines spend most of the time on the ground, they are good climbers and regularly climb trees in search of food and occasionally even build nests in trees. No porcupine can throw its quills, but they detach easily and will remain embedded in an attacker. Its body is up to 80 cm (31 inches) long, with a tail up to 30 cm. Gestation lasts 205 to 217 days. Take advantage of our Presidents' Day bonus! Simply raising awareness about this species can contribute to its overall protection. They sometimes congregate to rest and feed. All other New World porcupines are arboreal, living in tropical forests from southern Mexico to South America. All have short, stocky legs, but their tails range from short to long, with some being prehensile. The stump-tailed porcupine, Echinoprocta rufescens, is one of the smallest at 37 cm plus a short tail. When approached, the animal presents its rear. They cannot throw or shoot their quills. They also get browse several days a week and chew on the tree bark in their exhibit. Bones and antlers are gnawed upon for calcium and other minerals. Then the government restrictions kicked in. The porcupine's most famous feature—the quill—is hollow, 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 centimeters) in length, and lightly attached to the porcupine's skin. It has been almost 10 years since moose hunting in those areas were … Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for meat, recreation, to remove predators that can be dangerous to humans or domestic animals, to remove pests that destroy crops or kill livestock, or for trade.
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