African Crested Porcupine
Hystrix cristata
-The rattle of the quills you may hear is the sound characteristic of the warning given by these porcupines
-When feeling threatened, these rodents click their teeth, vibrate their quills, and run backwards to lodge quills into their enemy
-Though it is a myth these quills can “shoot out”, they have been designed to easily release from the body and pierce flesh with their hollow tips
-Found throughout tropical African regions, especially in the rocky country
-These rodents are primarily herbivorous (meaning they eat plant matter)
-They forage for tubers (such as potatoes), roots, bark, and fallen fruit
-However, on occasion, they will feed on carrion or small vertebrates if necessary
-Typically live in family units which they house in elaborate burrows
-Offspring: litters of 1-4 porcupettes are born with soft quills
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
Can you hear their quills shaking? The female is named Scarlet and she recently gave birth to a new baby!
Hystrix cristata
-The rattle of the quills you may hear is the sound characteristic of the warning given by these porcupines
-When feeling threatened, these rodents click their teeth, vibrate their quills, and run backwards to lodge quills into their enemy
-Though it is a myth these quills can “shoot out”, they have been designed to easily release from the body and pierce flesh with their hollow tips
-Found throughout tropical African regions, especially in the rocky country
-These rodents are primarily herbivorous (meaning they eat plant matter)
-They forage for tubers (such as potatoes), roots, bark, and fallen fruit
-However, on occasion, they will feed on carrion or small vertebrates if necessary
-Typically live in family units which they house in elaborate burrows
-Offspring: litters of 1-4 porcupettes are born with soft quills
HERE AT ALAMEDA:
Can you hear their quills shaking? The female is named Scarlet and she recently gave birth to a new baby!