Crested Porcupine
Hystrix cristata
The Crested Porcupine is the largest porcupine
in the world. The black and white quills along the head
and back of this spiny mammal can be raised into
a crest. These sturdy, sharp quills, which are about
14 inches long and marked with alternating light and
dark bands, provide highly effective protection against
predators.
Porcupines can not shoot quills but will attack predator
by running backward and stabbing their enemy. They
can also rattle their quills making a warning sound.
in the world. The black and white quills along the head
and back of this spiny mammal can be raised into
a crest. These sturdy, sharp quills, which are about
14 inches long and marked with alternating light and
dark bands, provide highly effective protection against
predators.
Porcupines can not shoot quills but will attack predator
by running backward and stabbing their enemy. They
can also rattle their quills making a warning sound.
DIET
African Crested Porcupine is an herbivore that eats
bark, bones of dead animals, roots, tubers, rhizomes,
bulbs, fallen fruits, and cultivated crops.
bark, bones of dead animals, roots, tubers, rhizomes,
bulbs, fallen fruits, and cultivated crops.
FAST FACTS
Size: 24 – 33 inches length
Weight: 22 – 66 lbs
Lifespan: 20 years in
the wild.
Weight: 22 – 66 lbs
Lifespan: 20 years in
the wild.