They do not shoot their spines, they do not spray toxins and they cannot roll up and roll off a mountain. There are plenty of crazy stories about porcupines, but in reality the spectacular attack techniques are not so bad! Porcupine quills contain tiny barbs and an enormous amount of bacteria, so they are poisonous, but they are not fired when threatened. Although they sometimes react a bit irritable, they are actually very gentle animals. For example, look closely at the nose of the porcupine, just like a guinea pig right? You didn't guess it, they are related....
General information indian crested porcupine
Scientific name: Hystrix indica
The indian crested porcupine is a large rodent with a thick neck and a large head. The porcupine's fur is usually brown or black. But surely the most striking thing about the porcupine is its large, black and white spines. Between them grow small, thicker spines so that his skin is well covered. Also, porcupines have a kind of "crest". This is a border of spines running from his head to his shoulders. With his spines, he can rattle by shaking his tail.
More about the white-tailed porcupine
Habitat indian crested porcupine
The white-tailed porcupine is found from the Middle East to Southeast Asia, here they live in many different habitats. The favorite are rocky hillsides, but porcupines are also regularly found in grasslands, forests, undergrowth and even in mountains as high as 2,400 meters.
Appearance indian crested porcupine
Weight |
Between 10 and 27 kilograms |
Age |
Porcupines can live to be 20 years old |
Group context |
In groups of 3 to 8 animals |
Propagation
Before mating, the male and female first rub close together and lick each other. They also move their tail causing it to rattle. When the female wants to mate she puts her tail over her back so the male is not bothered by it while mating. After about 2 months, about 1 to 4 young are then born. The female may have young twice a year.
The young are born with spines, but these spines are still small and soft. Otherwise, the mother would be in a lot of pain at giving birth. After 10 days, the spines are hard. When the young are 2 to 3 weeks old, they begin eating plants. Both parents continue to care for the young. Without hesitation, they protect their young from danger. Not only the parents but also other members of the group help take care of the young. After 3 months the young can live independently and after 2 years they can have young of their own.
Food in nature
Porcupines are rodents. Their front teeth are long and sharp and have no root, so they grow throughout life. To wear down teeth and keep scooped, porcupines regularly gnaw on tree bark and bones of dead animals. From these bones they also extract important minerals that their bodies need to build the spines.
Food at Hof van Eckberge
At Hof van Eckberge, the porcupines get kibble, walnuts, acorns, kiwi, apple, willow branches and other kinds of vegetables, fruits and nuts. Variety is very important for these animals.
Did you know that...?
- Porcupines can swim very well?
- There are many different species of porcupines? The porcupines that are here live in southeast-central Asia and parts of the Middle East. But there are also porcupines whose quills are as long as 30 to 40 centimeters.
- Porcupines sometimes walk as much as 15 kilometers a day?
- Porcupines can straighten their spines when threatened by predators?
- Porcupines are found in Africa, Europe, Asia and North and South America.