Malayan porcupine

Malayan porcupine
Malayan porcupine in Kaeng Krachan National Park
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Hystricidae
Genus:	Hystrix
Species:	H. brachyura
Binomial name
Hystrix brachyura Linnaeus, 1758
Subspecies
H. b. brachyura H. b. subcristata H. b. hodgsoni †H. b. punungensis [2] H. b. yunnanensisAnderson, 1878 H. b. bengalensisBlyth, 1851 [3]

The Malayan porcupine or Himalayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. ^[4] Three subspecies are extant in South and Southeast Asia.

Characteristics

It is a large and stout-bodied rodent covered with quills which are sharp, rigid structures. The quills are modified hair. ^[5] Those on their upper body parts are rough with black with white or yellow stripes. The young's soft quills become hard as they enter adulthood. They have short, stocky legs covered in brown hairs which have four claws on the front and five on the hind legs. Both front and hind legs have smooth soles.^{[ citation needed ]} The head and body measurement are around 56-74 cm and the tail is about 6–11 cm. They weigh around 10 kg-18 kg. ^[6]

Distribution and habitat

Malayan porcupine in Kaeng Krachan National Park

The Malayan porcupine ranges from Nepal through north-east India (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland), to Bangladesh, central and southern China (Xizang, Hainan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Fujian, Jianxi, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Gansu), throughout Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, through Peninsular Malaysia, to Singapore, Sumatra (Indonesia) and throughout Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia, Sarawak ^[7] and Brunei). It is also present on the island of Penang, Malaysia. It can be found from sea level to at least 1,300 m asl. ^[1] It inhabits various types of forests and open areas near forests; it strays into nearby agricultural areas.^{[ citation needed ]}

Behaviour and ecology

The Malayan porcupine is terrestrial and usually lives in small groups. They often inhabit dens they have found near rocky areas or in the holes of trees or root systems. They may also dig out and live in burrows, from which a network of trails penetrate into surrounding habitat. They can be found in all forest types up to 1500 m altitude. ^[5]

The Malayan porcupine forages at night and rests during the day. It may live singly or in pairs. It can swim and gnaw. The sow usually delivers a single pup at a time, but delivering two pups has also been recorded. The gestation period is about 90 to 112 days. Their maximum longevity is about 27 years. ^[1]

Diet

They normally feed on roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruits. They also eat carrion, insects, and large tropical seeds such as belonging to Chisocheton cumingianus .

Conservation

The Malayan porcupine has been categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ^[1]

References

1. Lunde, D.; Aplin, K. & Molur, S. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Hystrix brachyura". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T10749A115099298. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T10749A22232129.en . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
2. Weers, D.J. van. (2003) The porcupine Hystrix (Acanthion) brachyura punungensis subsp. nov. from Late Pleistocene fissure deposits near Punung, Java. Scripta Geologica, 126: 217-225 PDF
3. Van Weers, D.J. (2005). "A taxonomic revision of the Pleistocene Hystrix (Hystricidae, Rodentia) from Eurasia with notes on the evolution of the family". Contributions to Zoology . 74 (3/4). Archived from the original on 2023-07-06. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
4. Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1538–1600. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
5. Parr, J. W.K. (2003). East Asian Porcupine Hystrix brachyura: From Systematic, A Guide to the Large Mammals of Thailand (144). Bangkok: Sarakadee Press
6. Smith, Andrew; Xie, Yan (2010). A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press. p. 165.
7. Azlan J, M & Engkamat, L (2006) Camera trapping and conservation in Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology54(2) pp. 469-475 PDF Archived 2008-07-24 at the Wayback Machine

Sources

• I Dahlan, AA Salam,BS Amin, A Osman. (1995). Preference and Intake of Feedstuff by Crested Porcupines(Hystrix Brachyura) in Captivity. Ann Zootech 44, 271.
• Vaughan, T. A. (1985). Family Hystricidae. In T. A. Vaughan, Mammalogy Third Edition (pp. 266–267). Arizona: Saunders College Publishing.