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Range: Northern Africa.
Habitat: Found in varied habitats. The Crested Porcupine will avoid dense rainforest but can be found in virtually all other types of habitats. These animals have been observed to 11,000 feet. Favorite habitat seems to be grasslands with ample burrowing opportunities. Rocky terrain is another favored habitat. Rain Forest Facts: This species is active at dusk and at night making the animal nocturnal. Porcupines are generally inactive during the day sleeping in self excavated burrows, rock cavities, under boulder heaps or in river thickets with several exits. It is not uncommon to find a porcupine in an unused burrow that had previously been excavated by other large mammals. African Sulcata tortoises can dig massive burrows that often serve as shelter for young porcupines. Due to constant coming and goings from the same den area the porcupine can establish well worn paths leading from these den sites to favorite feeding grounds. When excited, the porcupines grunt. If threatened, they stamp their hind feet and rattle the rattle-quills not unlike a North American Rattlesnake, the sound and the results are very similar for these two very different animals. Predators, while rare, do exist for the porcupine and they include African Rock Pythons, Leopards, lions, cheetahs and the occasional Serval. Although the porcupine’s excellent defense is generally a deterrent to predators, a hungry animal that startles the porcupine can gain the upper hand. A myth that exists about all species of porcupine is that they can "shoot" their quills. Porcupines do not have the ability to shoot their quills, instead when in danger, the porcupine erects the quills and spines and jumps, or runs backward or sideways to drive the quills into the predator. If pursued, the animal may stop suddenly, causing the predator to run into the quills. A predator that survives the initial attack of
quills from the porcupine may often succumb later to infection or starvation as
they are unable to hunt for food with the quills still in their bodies. Solitary by nature it is not uncommon for small family groups to share dens or burrows when suitable sites are hard to find. A female porcupine who is about to give birth will almost always seek a burrow of her own to raise the young. Foraging is generally done alone except when parents accompany their young. Sexual maturity is reached at two years. In the wild, breeding usually takes place in the summer northern Africa and from July through December in mid-Africa. In captivity, it has been reported year round. Generally, two litters a year of one to four are born after a seven to eight week gestation. The young are about 10 ounces at birth with open eyes and soft, short quills. They suckle for up to two months although solid food is taken at approximately two weeks. They begin venturing out of the den at one week of age. Natural Diet: Plant material, this includes roots, bark and other parts of many species of plants. Where porcupines interact with humans they can be a problem for cultivated human crops. Diet at Rain Forest: Various fruits and vegetables. Favors
apples and carrots.
Size: 20-45 pounds. Average length is 30" Quills may be up to 20" in length. Status in Wild: The African crested porcupine is not listed on the Endangered Species List. However, due to the damage this species has done to cultivated crops, it has been exterminated in several parts of its range. Although the quills are naturally shed, the animals have been killed to take the quills for ornaments and charms. This species is a classic example of an animal
holding its own or actually expanding it's range due to the lack of large
predators. Once the large predators such as lions, leopards etc, were
Damage from an over population of any animal can be catastrophic on plants and other animal species. |
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Small amounts of protein are supplemented using high protein dry dog food. 
drastically
reduced, or eliminated, the porcupine was able to increase it's numbers in the
wild. The consequences of such increases are not yet fully understood.