|
 |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Prehensile-tailed porcupine - COENDOU PREHENSILIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Porcupine": "Porcupine" comes from the Latin words "porcus spina," meaning "pig spines." The animal is not closely related to a pig, however, and shares the misplaced "porcus" name with the porpoise and the aardvark.
Location: From Mexico throughout much of South America.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Tropical forests.
Description: The body is covered with short, thick spines which are whitish or yellowish in color, mixed with the darker hair, while the underside is grayish. The tail is less spiny and is prehensile, with the tip curling upward so as to get a better grip on the branches of trees. All four feet have four toes apiece, which are clawed to be able to hold on to branches firmly. This porcupine can grow to forty inches long, but half of that is tail. It weighs about nine pounds.
Behavior: This shy, nocturnal porcupine is solitary or lives in pairs in the branches of trees. It rarely descends to the ground, but it shows little fear if it happens to be caught. It is not aggressive but will defend itself ferociously if attacked. Its diet consists of leaves, fruit, and small fresh twigs and shoots. This creature can easily be tamed enough to be kept in captivity.
Reproduction: As a rule the female gives birth to a single young in the spring. The newborn porcupine is covered with red hairs and small spines, which harden shortly after birth.
Go to the Rodents Page to learn more about all the gnawing animals.
Or go to the Porcupine Index to study other
porcupines.
From Address Labels to Zoo Toys... All Creatures Great and Small You'll Find It at the America Zoo Gift Shop Realistic Stuffed Animals & Animal Figurines Wildlife Decor for Your Home Animal Books, Magazines, and Educational Materials A Wide Variety of Wildlife Gifts & Apparel and Much, Much More  ↓ For Your Favorite Little Animal Lover ↓
Home Animal Research Library About AmericaZoo
|
