New World porcupine
Encyclopedia
The New World porcupines, or Erethizontidae, are large arboreal rodent
s, distinguished by the spiny
covering from which they take their name. They inhabit forest
s and wooded regions across North America, and into northern South America. Although both the New World and Old World porcupine
families belong to the Hystricognathi
branch of the vast order
Rodentia, they are quite different and are not closely related.
, which has a body length of 86 cm (33.9 in), and weighs up to 18 kg (39.7 lb).
They are distinguished from the Old World porcupines in that they have rooted molar
s, complete collar-bones, entire upper lips, tuberculated soles, no trace of a first front-toe, and four teats.
They are less strictly nocturnal than Old World species in their habits, and some types live entirely in trees while others have dens on the ground. Their long and powerful prehensile tail
s help them balance when they are in the tree tops. Their diet consists mainly of bark, leaves and conifer needles but can also include roots, stems, berries, fruits, seeds, nuts, grasses and flowers. Some species also eat insects and small reptiles. Their teeth are similar to those of Old World porcupines, with the dental formula
Solitary offspring (or, rarely, twins) are born after a gestation period of up to 210 days, depending on the species. The young are born fully developed, with open eyes, and are able to climb trees within a few days of birth.
(Erethizon dorsatum), a stout, heavily built animal, with long hairs almost or quite hiding its spines, four front and five hind-toes, and a short, stumpy tail. It is a native of the greater part of Canada
and the United States
, wherever there is any remnant of the original forest left.
The tree porcupines (Coendou
, Sphiggurus
, and Echinoprocta
) contain 16 species. They are found throughout tropical South America
, with two extending into Mexico
. They are of a lighter build than the ground porcupines, with short, close, many-coloured spines, often mixed with hairs, and prehensile tails. The hind-feet have only four toes, owing to the suppression of the first, in place of which they have a fleshy pad on the inner side of the foot; between this pad and the toes, branches and other objects can be firmly grasped as with a hand. These three genera are often united into a single genus Coendou.
Genus Chaetomys, distinguished by the shape of its skull and the greater complexity of its teeth, contains C. subspinosus, a native of the hottest parts of Brazil
. This animal is often considered a member of the Echimyidae
on the basis of its premolar
.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s, distinguished by the spiny
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
covering from which they take their name. They inhabit forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and wooded regions across North America, and into northern South America. Although both the New World and Old World porcupine
Old World porcupine
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, most of Africa, India, and the Maritime Southeast Asia as far east as Borneo...
families belong to the Hystricognathi
Hystricognathi
Hystricognathi is an infraorder of rodents. Hystricognaths are distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skulls. The masseter medialis passes partially through the infraorbital foramen and connects to the bone on the opposite side...
branch of the vast order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Rodentia, they are quite different and are not closely related.
Characteristics
New World porcupines are stout animals, with blunt rounded heads, fleshy mobile snouts, and coats of thick cylindrical or flattened spines ("quills"). The spines are mixed with long soft hairs. They vary in size from the relatively small prehensile-tailed porcupines, which are around 30 cm (11.8 in) long, and weigh about 900 g (31.7 oz), to the much larger North American PorcupineNorth American Porcupine
The North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
, which has a body length of 86 cm (33.9 in), and weighs up to 18 kg (39.7 lb).
They are distinguished from the Old World porcupines in that they have rooted molar
Molar (tooth)
Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. In many mammals they grind food; hence the Latin name mola, "millstone"....
s, complete collar-bones, entire upper lips, tuberculated soles, no trace of a first front-toe, and four teats.
They are less strictly nocturnal than Old World species in their habits, and some types live entirely in trees while others have dens on the ground. Their long and powerful prehensile tail
Prehensile tail
A prehensile tail is the tail of an animal that has adapted to be able to grasp and/or hold objects. Fully prehensile tails can be used to hold and manipulate objects, and in particular to aid arboreal creatures in finding and eating food in the trees...
s help them balance when they are in the tree tops. Their diet consists mainly of bark, leaves and conifer needles but can also include roots, stems, berries, fruits, seeds, nuts, grasses and flowers. Some species also eat insects and small reptiles. Their teeth are similar to those of Old World porcupines, with the dental formula
Dentition
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age...
Solitary offspring (or, rarely, twins) are born after a gestation period of up to 210 days, depending on the species. The young are born fully developed, with open eyes, and are able to climb trees within a few days of birth.
Species
They include four genera, of which the first is represented by the North American PorcupineNorth American Porcupine
The North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
(Erethizon dorsatum), a stout, heavily built animal, with long hairs almost or quite hiding its spines, four front and five hind-toes, and a short, stumpy tail. It is a native of the greater part of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, wherever there is any remnant of the original forest left.
The tree porcupines (Coendou
Prehensile-tailed porcupine
The prehensile-tailed porcupines or Coendous are a group of arboreal porcupine found in Central and South America. They are closely related to the other Neotropical tree porcupines and these three are sometimes treated as subgenera of Coendou instead of distinct genera.-Characteristics:Among the...
, Sphiggurus
Sphiggurus
Sphiggurus is a genus of New World porcupine. It contains the following species:*Sphiggurus ichillus - Streaked Dwarf Porcupine*Sphiggurus insidiosus - Bahia Porcupine*Sphiggurus melanurus - Black-tailed Hairy Dwarf Porcupine...
, and Echinoprocta
Stump-tailed Porcupine
The Stump-tailed Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Echinoprocta.Stump-tailed porcupines are found mainly in Colombia, with a couple of records from Ecuador....
) contain 16 species. They are found throughout tropical South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, with two extending into Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. They are of a lighter build than the ground porcupines, with short, close, many-coloured spines, often mixed with hairs, and prehensile tails. The hind-feet have only four toes, owing to the suppression of the first, in place of which they have a fleshy pad on the inner side of the foot; between this pad and the toes, branches and other objects can be firmly grasped as with a hand. These three genera are often united into a single genus Coendou.
Genus Chaetomys, distinguished by the shape of its skull and the greater complexity of its teeth, contains C. subspinosus, a native of the hottest parts of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. This animal is often considered a member of the Echimyidae
Spiny rat
The spiny rats are a group of hystricognath rodents in the family Echimyidae. They are distributed from central Central America through much of South America. They were also found in the West Indies until the 19th century...
on the basis of its premolar
Premolar
The premolar teeth or bicuspids are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant, making eight premolars total in the mouth. They have at least two cusps. Premolars can be considered as a 'transitional tooth' during chewing, or...
.
Classification
- Family Erethizontidae
- Subfamily Chaetomyinae
- Genus Chaetomys
- Chaetomys subspinosus – Bristle-spined Rat
- Genus Chaetomys
- Subfamily Erethizontinae
- Genus CoendouPrehensile-tailed porcupineThe prehensile-tailed porcupines or Coendous are a group of arboreal porcupine found in Central and South America. They are closely related to the other Neotropical tree porcupines and these three are sometimes treated as subgenera of Coendou instead of distinct genera.-Characteristics:Among the...
– prehensile-tailed porcupines- Coendou bicolorBicolored-spined PorcupineThe Bicolored-spined Porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae.It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru....
– Bicolored-spined Porcupine - Coendou quichuaAndean porcupineThe Andean porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is known from the Andes of Ecuador as well as from the Cordillera Oriental of northeastern Colombia near San Vicente de Chucurí. Although it is morphologically distinctive, it has sometimes been described as a subspecies...
– Andean Porcupine - Coendou nycthemera – Black Dwarf Porcupine
- Coendou prehensilisBrazilian PorcupineThe Brazilian Porcupine is a porcupine found in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, the Guyanas, Bolivia and Trinidad, with a single record from Ecuador. It inhabits tropical forests at elevations up to 1500 m....
– Brazilian Porcupine - Coendou rothschildiRothschild's PorcupineRothschild's Porcupine, Coendou rothschildi, is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae.It is usually considered endemic to Panama. A population in western Ecuador belongs either to this species or to Coendou bicolor....
– Rothschild's Porcupine - Coendou sanctemartaeSanta Marta porcupineThe Santa Marta porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is known from dry forests on the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá mountains of northern Colombia, at altitudes below 500 and 1100 m, respectively, and intervening lowlands, and...
– Santa Marta Porcupine
- Coendou bicolor
- Genus EchinoproctaStump-tailed PorcupineThe Stump-tailed Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Echinoprocta.Stump-tailed porcupines are found mainly in Colombia, with a couple of records from Ecuador....
- Echinoprocta rufescensStump-tailed PorcupineThe Stump-tailed Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Echinoprocta.Stump-tailed porcupines are found mainly in Colombia, with a couple of records from Ecuador....
– Stump-tailed Porcupine
- Echinoprocta rufescens
- Genus ErethizonNorth American PorcupineThe North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
- Erethizon dorsatumNorth American PorcupineThe North American Porcupine , also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The Beaver is the only rodent larger than the North American Porcupine found in North America...
– North American Porcupine
- Erethizon dorsatum
- Genus SphiggurusSphiggurusSphiggurus is a genus of New World porcupine. It contains the following species:*Sphiggurus ichillus - Streaked Dwarf Porcupine*Sphiggurus insidiosus - Bahia Porcupine*Sphiggurus melanurus - Black-tailed Hairy Dwarf Porcupine...
- Sphiggurus ichillusStreaked dwarf porcupineThe streaked dwarf porcupine, Sphiggurus ichillus, is a porcupine species in the family Erethizontidae. It is known from the lowlands of eastern Ecuador, and may be present in Peru as well. It appears to be nocturnal and arboreal in its habits....
– Streaked Dwarf Porcupine - Sphiggurus insidiosusBahia PorcupineThe Bahia Porcupine, Sphiggurus insidiosus, is a New World porcupine species in the genus Sphiggurus endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Sphiggurus pallidus, formerly considered a separate species but known from two young specimens only, is a synonym of this species....
– Bahia Porcupine - Sphiggurus melanurusBlack-tailed Hairy Dwarf PorcupineThe Black-tailed Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, Sphiggurus melanurus, is a South American porcupine species from the family Erethizontidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.-References:*...
– Black-tailed Hairy Dwarf Porcupine - Sphiggurus mexicanusMexican Hairy Dwarf PorcupineThe Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine or Mexican Tree Porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, possibly Belize, and possibly Nicaragua.-References:...
– Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine - Sphiggurus pruinosusFrosted hairy dwarf porcupineThe frosted hairy dwarf porcupine, Sphiggurus pruinosus, is a porcupine species in the family Erethizontidae. It is endemic to Colombia and northern and eastern Venezuela. It lives in lowland tropical rainforest and cloud forest at elevations from ....
– Frosted Hairy Dwarf Porcupine - Sphiggurus roosmalenorum – Roosmalen's Dwarf Porcupine
- Sphiggurus spinosus – Paraguaian Hairy Dwarf Porcupine
- Sphiggurus vestitusBrown Hairy Dwarf PorcupineThe Brown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests....
– Brown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine - Sphiggurus villosusOrange-spined Hairy Dwarf PorcupineThe Orange-spined Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus, is a porcupine species from the family Erethizontidae endemic to southern Brazil....
– Orange-spined Hairy Dwarf Porcupine
- Sphiggurus ichillus
- Genus Coendou
- Subfamily Chaetomyinae
External links
- Erethizontidae, Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition.