Cape porcupine

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Cape porcupine
Hystrix africaeaustralis Blijdorp Rotterdam.JPG
Reserve Sigean - Porc-epic du Cap 06.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Hystricidae
Genus: Hystrix
Species:
H. africaeaustralis
Binomial name
Hystrix africaeaustralis
Peters, 1852
Hystrix africaeaustralis distribution map.png
  range

The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), Cape crested porcupine or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa.

Contents

Description

Porcupine head Reserve Sigean - Porc-epic du Cap 05.jpg
Porcupine head

Cape porcupines are the largest rodents in Africa and also the world's largest porcupines. Cape porcupines are amongst the largest living rodents in the world; a few other rodents appear to be larger in body mass such as the capybara and the Eurasian and North American beavers. [2] [3] [4] They are similar in appearance to, the slightly smaller and close relatives, the crested porcupines. They can most easily be distinguished from them by the presence of a band of short white spines along the midline of the rump. 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. [5] [6]

Cape porcupines measure 63 to 81 centimetres (25 to 32 inches) long from the head to the base of the tail, with the tail adding a further 11–20 centimetres (4.3–7.9 inches). [2] They weigh from 10 to 24 kilograms (22 to 53 pounds), with exceptionally large specimens weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb); [7] [8] males and females are not significantly different in size. [2] 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). [2]

They are heavily-built animals, with stocky bodies, short limbs, and an inconspicuous tail. 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. The spines on the tail are hollow, and used to make a rattling sound to scare away predators. An erectile crest of long, bristly hairs runs from the top of the head down to the shoulders. 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. The quills have multiple bands of black and white along their length, and grow from regularly spaced grooves along the animal's body; each groove holding five to eight quills. The remainder of the animal, including the undersides, is covered with dark hair. [2]

The eyes and ears are relatively small, and the mobile whiskers are short. The feet have five clawed toes, although the first toes on the forefeet are vestigial. Females have two pairs of teats. [2]

Distribution and habitat

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. 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. [1] [9] There are no currently recognised subspecies.

Diet and behaviour

Debarking of a buffalo thorn by a Cape porcupine Ontbassing deur ystervark, Moreletakloof NR.jpg
Debarking of a buffalo thorn by a Cape porcupine

Cape porcupines eat mostly plant material: fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark. They have a long small intestine and large caecum, employing hindgut fermentation to break down the tough materials in their food. [10] They have also been reported to gnaw on carrion and bones. They are often considered pests by local farmers, because they can feed on crops and damage trees. [2] However, their debarking of trees may also play a role in the maintenance of local savannah ecosystems, helping to prevent the development of denser forested environments. [11]

Cape porcupines are nocturnal and monogamous, typically living as mated pairs of adults, caring for any young together. Each pair may inhabit up to six burrows, jointly defending their shared territory, [12] although they typically forage as individuals. [9] Both sexes scent mark their territory, although males do so more frequently, and may play a more active role in its defence. [13] The size of the home range varies depending on the local habitat and availability of food, but can range between at least 67 and 203 hectares (170 and 500 acres). [2]

When attacked, the porcupine freezes. If cornered, it turns vicious and charges to stab its attacker with its quills. Otherwise, the porcupine may retreat into its burrow, exposing only its quills and making it hard to dislodge.

Reproduction

Cape porcupines mate throughout the year, although births are most common during the rainy season, between August and March. Unless a previous litter is lost, females typically give birth only once each year. Oestrus lasts for an average of nine days, during which a membrane across the vagina opens to allow insemination. [14] After mating, a copulatory plug forms, which is expelled about 48 hours later. [15]

Gestation lasts around 94 days, and results in the birth of a litter of up to three young, although over half of births are of singletons. [14] Newborn young weigh 300 to 440 grams (11 to 16 oz), and initially have soft quills. Although they are born with their incisor teeth fully erupted, the remaining teeth begin to appear at 14 days, with the full set of adult teeth present by 25 months. [16] They are weaned at around 100 days of age, [14] and grow rapidly for the first twenty weeks, reaching the full adult size, and sexual maturity, at the end of their first year. [17]

Relative to most other rodents, Cape porcupines are long-lived, surviving for ten years in the wild, or up to twenty years in captivity. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porcupine</span> Rodent with a coat of sharp spines

Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of the family Erethizontidae. Both families belong to the infraorder Hystricognathi within the profoundly diverse order Rodentia and display superficially similar coats of rigid or semi-rigid quills, which are modified hairs composed of keratin. Despite this, the two groups are distinct from one another and are not closely related to each other within the Hystricognathi. The largest species of porcupine is the third-largest living rodent in the world, after the capybara and beaver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old World porcupine</span> Family of rodents

The Old World porcupines, or Hystricidae, are large terrestrial rodents, distinguished by the spiny covering from which they take their name. They range over the south of Europe and the Levant, most of Africa, India, and Southeast Asia as far east as Flores. Although both the Old World and New World porcupine families belong to the infraorder Hystricognathi of the vast order Rodentia, they are quite different and are not particularly closely related.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serval</span> Medium-sized wild cat

The serval is a wild cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, except rainforest regions. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in range countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honey badger</span> Species of mammal

The honey badger, also known as the ratel, is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African buffalo</span> Bovine species

The African buffalo is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. There are five subspecies that are recognized as being valid. Syncerus caffer caffer, the Cape buffalo, is the nominotypical subspecies, and the largest one, found in Southern Africa and East Africa. S. c. nanus is the smallest subspecies, common in forest areas of Central Africa and West Africa, while S. c. brachyceros is in West Africa and S. c. aequinoctialis is in the savannas of East Africa. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to as a "boss".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American porcupine</span> Species of rodent

The North American porcupine, also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large quill-covered rodent in the New World porcupine family. It is the second largest rodent in North America after the North American beaver. The porcupine is a caviomorph rodent whose ancestors crossed the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil 30 million years ago, and then migrated to North America during the Great American Interchange after the Isthmus of Panama rose 3 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian crested porcupine</span> Species of rodent

The Indian crested porcupine is a hystricomorph rodent species native to southern Asia and the Middle East. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It belongs to the Old World porcupine family, Hystricidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African brush-tailed porcupine</span> Species of rodent

The African brush-tailed porcupine is a species of rat-like Old World porcupine, indigenous to a broad belt of Africa ranging from Guinea on the west coast to Kenya on the east. This is a common species with a very wide range, and despite it being used extensively for bushmeat, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater cane rat</span> Species of rodent

The greater cane rat, also known as the grasscutter, is one of two species of cane rats, a small family of African hystricognath rodents. It lives by reed-beds and riverbanks in Sub-Saharan Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristle-spined rat</span> Species of rodent

The bristle-spined rat is an arboreal rodent from the Atlantic forest in eastern Brazil. Also known as the bristle-spined porcupine or thin-spined porcupine, it is the only member of the genus Chaetomys and the subfamily Chaetomyinae. It was officially described in 1818, but rarely sighted since, until December 1986, when two specimens - one a pregnant female - were found in the vicinity of Valencia in Bahia. Since then it has been recorded at several localities in eastern Brazil, from Sergipe to Espírito Santo, but it remains rare and threatened due to habitat loss, poaching and roadkills.

<i>Hystrix</i> (mammal) Genus of rodents

Hystrix is a genus of porcupines containing most of the Old World porcupines. Fossils belonging to the genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brush-tailed porcupine</span> Genus of mammals

The brush-tailed porcupines are a genus, Atherurus, of Old World porcupines found in Asia and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested porcupine</span> Species of rodent

The crested porcupine, also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

The wildlife of Iraq includes its flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Iraq has multiple biomes from mountainous region in the north to the wet marshlands along the Euphrates river. The western part of the country is mainly desert and some semi-arid regions. As of 2001, seven of Iraq's mammal species and 12 of its bird species were endangered. The endangered species include the northern bald ibis and Persian fallow deer. The Syrian wild ass is extinct, and the Saudi Arabian dorcas gazelle was declared extinct in 2008.

In a zoological context, spines are hard, needle-like anatomical structures found in both vertebrate and invertebrate species. The spines of most spiny mammals are modified hairs, with a spongy center covered in a thick, hard layer of keratin and a sharp, sometimes barbed tip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape dune mole-rat</span> Species of rodent

The Cape dune mole-rat is a species of solitary burrowing rodent in the family Bathyergidae. It is endemic to South Africa and named for the Cape of Good Hope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayan porcupine</span> Species of rodent

The Malayan porcupine or Himalayan porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. Three subspecies are extant in South and Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine porcupine</span> Species of rodent

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References

  1. 1 2 Cassola, F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Hystrix africaeaustralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T10748A115099085. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T10748A22232321.en . Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Barthelmess, E. L. (2006). "Hystrix africaeaustralis". Mammalian Species. 788: Number 788: pp. 1–7. doi: 10.1644/788.1 .
  3. Carwardine, M. (2008). Animal records. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
  4. Pillay, K. R., Wilson, A. L., Ramesh, T., & Downs, C. T. (2015). Digestive parameters and energy assimilation of Cape porcupine on economically important crops. African Zoology, 50(4), 321-326.
  5. Alkon, P. U.; Mitrani, D. S. (1988). Influence of season and moonlight on temporal-activity patterns of Indian crested porcupines (Hystrix indica). Journal of Mammalogy, 69(1), 71-80.
  6. Mori, E.; Lovari, S. (2014). Sexual size monomorphism in the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 79(2), 157-160.
  7. Burnie, D.; Wilson, D. E. (eds.), Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. DK Adult (2005), ISBN   0789477645
  8. Wildcliff Nature Reserve Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
  9. 1 2 van Aarde, R. J. (1987). "Demography of a Cape porcupine, Hystrix africaeaustralis, population". Journal of Zoology. 213 (2): 205–212. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb03694.x.
  10. van Jaarsveld, A. S. (1983). "Aspects of the digestion in the Cape porcupine" (PDF). South African Journal of Animal Science. 13 (1): 31–33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  11. Yeaton, R.I. (1988). "Porcupines, fires and the dynamics of the tree layer of the Burkea africana savanna". Journal of Ecology. 76 (4): 1017–1029. Bibcode:1988JEcol..76.1017Y. doi:10.2307/2260630. JSTOR   2260630.
  12. Corbet, N. U.; van Aarde, R. J. (1996). "Social organization and space use in the Cape porcupine in a southern African savanna". African Journal of Ecology. 34 (1): 1–14. Bibcode:1996AfJEc..34....1C. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.542.9746 . doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.1996.tb00589.x.
  13. de Villiers, M. S.; et al. (1994). "Habitat utilization by the Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis in a savanna ecosystem". Journal of Zoology. 232 (3): 539–549. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1994.tb00002.x.
  14. 1 2 3 van Aarde, R. J. (1985). "Reproduction in captive female Cape porcupines (Hystrix africaeaustralis)". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 75 (2): 577–582. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0750577 . PMID   4067934.
  15. van Aarde, R. J.; Skinner, J. D. (1986). "Reproductive biology of the male Cape porcupine, Hystrix africaeaustralis" (PDF). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 76 (2): 545–552. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0760545 . PMID   3701699.
  16. van Aarde, R. J. (1985). "Age determination of Cape porcupines, Hystrix africaeaustralis". African Journal of Zoology. 20 (4): 232–236. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.485.5438 . doi:10.1080/02541858.1985.11447940. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24.
  17. van Aarde, R. J. (1987). "Pre- and postnatal growth of the Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis". Journal of Zoology. 211 (1): 25–33. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb07450.x.