African Crested Porcupine

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.

Crested porcupines are mostly nocturnal, spending the day resting in burrows, rock crevices, or caves — often ones dug by other animals rather than themselves. They usually live in small family groups of a mated pair and their offspring, and are found across sub-Saharan Africa as well as parts of North Africa and the Mediterranean, making them one of the most widely distributed porcupine species. Come see our crested porcupine at Plumpton Park Zoo — plan your visit.