![]() ![]() They are very fond of salt licks and sometimes wander into human settlements to find salt sources. Porcupines are not territorial animals, however, their home range can be as large as 200 acres. They are very vocal animals and make shrill screeches, whines and low grunts. Porcupines have poor vision but have an acute sense of smell. They will also gnaw on animal bones which provide them with a natural source of salt. Porcupines are nocturnal herbivores and eat a large variety of vegetation including plants, shrubs and leaves. They can also be found living in rock crevices, hollow logs and small caves. Some inhabit rocky regions up to 3,500 metres (11,000 feet) high. Some species of New World porcupines live in trees, however, Old World porcupines are exclusively terrestrial (ground dwellers). Porcupine habitats range from deserts, forests and grasslands. The porcupines stomach is the only area not protected by quills. The porcupines stomach is filled with symbiotic microorganisms (bacteria, fungi (yeasts) and protozoans) which help break down the plants eaten into a usable form. Predators have been know to die from being penetrated with a porcupine spine as the barbs are designed to penetrate further into the skin with normal muscle movements. The spines are extremely sharp and will easily detach from the porcupine if touched. The spines of the New World porcupines have backward facing barbs on the ends that are painful and difficult to remove from skin when embedded. Spines or quills are about 75 millimetres (3.0 inches) long and 2 millimetres (0.079 inches) wide. Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) are larger and their spines are grouped in clusters whereas New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) are smaller and have their spines attached singly. Their legs are short and sturdy and there are 5 toes on each foot with powerful claws at the ends. Porcupines have blunt muzzles and small eyes and ears. The spines usually lie flattened, however, when threats are posed, the spines spring up as a deterrent to predators. Their spines are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratin that are used to defend them from predators. Porcupines have rounded bodies covered with many spines or quills and can be grey, brown or white in color. The largest porcupine is the African Porcupine which can weigh over 20 kilograms (44 pounds). The smallest porcupine is the Rothschilds Porcupine from South America which weighs only 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). Porcupines vary in size considerably depending on species, however, they generally measure 60 – 90 centimetres (25 – 36 inches) in length (excluding tail which measures 20 – 25 centimetres (8 – 10 inches)) and weigh between 5 – 16 kilograms (12 – 35 pounds). Porcupines (like monkeys) are divided into New World (Erethizontidae) and Old World (Hystricidae) porcupines and are quite different from each other and are not closely related. There are, in total, 27 species of porcupine belonging to the families, Erethizontidae or Hystricidae. ![]() The name ‘porcupine’ comes from Middle French ‘porc d’épine’ meaning ‘thorny pig’. Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) are the third largest members of the rodent family that are covered with spines or quills.
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