They can live in a wide variety of environments, including mountains, deserts and forests. Create art and share it with #faunafocus. The hind foot has five digits. When these quills are vibrated, they produce a hiss-like rattle. COUNTRY Masseti M., Albarella U. It is called the Crested porcupine due to the fact that the quills on its head and shoulders are particularly long, and when it is threatened, it raises its quills as a deterrent, creating a crest on its body. The crested porcupine current distribution outside Africa is limited to Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. The diet of the crested porcupine, Corsini, M. T., Locari, S., & Sonnino, S. (1995). Small family groups, consisting of an adult pair and various infants and juveniles, share an elaborate burrow system, though females will establish a separate, grass-lined den within the burrow system to give birth. They are monogamous animals (a couple stays together for their entire life). Sometimes, humans may dig up these bones. Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, HABITAT It lives in hilly, rocky habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Italy. Coendous . They can also be found in mountains, croplands, and sandhill deserts. There are also records from Libya and along the Egyptian coast. Italy is the only European country where the crested porcupine live in the wild as naturalized specie (Coppola, Dari, Vecchio, Scarselli & Felicioli, In press, Santini, 1980). Contact us. & Kilpatrick, C. W. (2005). The crested porcupine current distribution outside Africa is limited to Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. ), Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The activity of radiotagged adult crested porcupines Hystrix cristata L., 1758, was studied in a rural hilly area of Central Italy, from July 1990 to June 1991. They shelter in caves, rock crevices, aardvark holes, or burrows that they dig themselves. Life Span 5 to 7 Years. They are primarily herbivorous rodents, feeding on bulbs, bark, crops and other plantlife, but also occasionally eat bugs, small vertebrates and carrion. Breeding occurs throughout the year at the London Zoo, from July to December in Central Africa, and from March to December in Indian zoos. And I want to thank again Eleanor and David for welcoming me into their home and for feeding me so well. The crested porcupine is also known as the African crested porcupine. The crested porcupine is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae and the genus Hystrix. Its biology and particularly its denning habits are inadequately known. Your email address will not be published. Crested porcupine was present in Europe during Late Pleistocene. Hystrix cristata. Fossils belonging to the genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa. Palaeontological data indicate that porcupines were present in Italy and other parts of Europe in the Pleistocene (possibly up to the early Holocene), but there is now broad consensus that these belonged to different species, now extinct. Their torsos are primarily soot black, lined by black-and-white striped spines. Newborns weigh about 1,000 grams or 2.2 pounds, only 3-5% of the mother’s body weight, yet they leave the den for the first time after only one week, at which time the spines begin to harden. Burrows are often extensive and used for many years. No male weight is transferred to the female, no penile lock occurs, and there are multiple intromissions and multiple thrustings. Even the biggest cat tree would be too small for the prehensile porcupines. The life of an African crested porcupine. In the Mediterranean, it is known from mainland Italy and the islands of Sicily, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Hystrix was given the name by the late 18th century Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus. Type Mammal. After a 35 day estrous cycle and 66-112 day gestation period, one to two well-developed offspring are born in a grass-lined chamber within the burrow system. Published and unpublished material was collected to reconstruct this phenomenon. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The crested porcupine’s common name refers to the quills along the head, nape, and back that can be raised into a crest, in addition to sturdier quills about 35 centimeters, or 14 inches, long along the sides and back half of the body generally used for defensive purposes. Offset your Greenhouse Gases when you fly - and protect Gola Rainforest, ©2020 Jon Hall. The crested porcupine is found in Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. The body is covered with short hair, and the back spines are still soft with individual sensing bristles projecting far beyond the spines. Our work reports the first data on reproductive biology and paternal behaviour of free-living crested porcupines in Europe. Individual crested porcupines may remain in burrows through winter but they don’t truly hibernate. Join a creative community focusing on a unique animal each month. Crested porcupine individuals usually reach adult weight at one to two years and are usually sexually mature just before then. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. It may have been extirpated in Egypt since 1980. Native to: They are native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa in scrubland, dry rocky areas, forests and abandoned farm land. Because the crested porcupine is a favored food item for humans and its meat is considered a delicacy, there should be some investigation into harvest levels in the North Africa and West Africa areas, however at present, this is not thought to be a major threat to the survival of the species. The activity of radiotagged adult crested porcupines Hystrix cristata L., 1758, was studied in a rural hilly area of Central Italy, from July 1990 to June 1991. The crested porcupine’s skull morphology is characteristic in several ways. In parts of its range, the crested porcupine is considered an agricultural pest species because it causes damage to crops and fields by gnawing the bark of plantation rubber trees and eating corn, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, cassava, and young cotton plants. In this paper the evidence for the introduction of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata L. 1758) in Italy is reviewed and hypotheses concerning the timing and modalities of this event are brought forward. Lifespan: Up to 20 years. Grassland Next stop Maremma Regional Park. The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata L., 1758) is the largest rodent among the Italian fauna 1. The crested porcupine is found in Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. In winter, which is brief and not very cold in the parts of Sicily … Aardwolf. In the Mediterranean, it inhabits dry Mediterranean shrubland, maquis, abandoned farmland, steppe, forest, and dry rocky areas. In the last few decades, the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata L., 1758) showed a marked range expansion in Italy. Still today, fisherman use them as floats for their lightness and resistance. There's more here. The crested porcupine is the largest rodent of the Italian fauna and shares the same environment with red foxes, badgers, coypus and wild boars that are known to be infected by Leptospira. & De Grossi Mazzorin J. Paolo in turn contacted Emilano Mori, a phd biology student in biology and expert in Porcupines, who suggested I try Maremma Regional Park, near Grossetto in southern Tuscany. Let's hope in a good expansion of this species. Geographic Range Found in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Italy. It confirms the susceptibility of non-human primates to the EMCV infection. Close. Dry After reluctantly turning down a final slice of apple pie I drove around the back roads from 10.30 – 1.30 that night looking for Porcupines. The lifespan of wild Indian crested porcupines is unknown, but the oldest known captive individual was a female that lived to be 27.1 years old. www.mammalwatching.com | jon@mammalwatching.com | | Privacy Policy, or     Food categories were identified by comparison with either isolated sections of fresh plant material or digested fragments obtained from captive porcupines fed experimentally. If it is still alone tomorrow I … It has been recorded from sea level to 2,550 meters in Moroccan Anti Atlas. Status Least Concern. David was surprised I hadn’t seen any Boar, also common in the area, and they see Pine Martens from time to time. The crested porcupine is found in Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. 2 4 42. Like all members of the family Hystricidae, the crested porcupine is covered in fearsome quills of varying lengths and thickness which provide it highly effectiv… In Morocco, the crested porcupine is considered Endangered. Shrubland The crested porcupine current distribution outside Africa is limited to Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. I was back in Italy in September for a week’s work in Turin and wanted to spend a weekend to try again to find a Porcupine. Captured at night on a Bushnell Trophy cam. However, at present this is not thought to be a major threat to the survival of the species. The crested porcupine is sometimes illegally controlled with poison baits and killed because of the damage it may do to crops, a practice which continues. Pigozzi, G. & Patterson, I. J. Outside Europe, there is little published information on population trends, but there have been declines in at least some areas, probably as a result of persecution and exploitation for its meat and quills. I stayed in the friendly local pizzeria, which has comfortable rooms for just 30 euros a night including breakfast. Undigested fibers are retained in the enlarged appendix and anterior large intestine and broken down by microorganisms. It rarely attempts to climb trees but can swim. Italy, and 3Dipartimento di Bioscienze e Territorio, Università del Molise, Pesche, Italy (Received 30 October 2012; accepted 15 October 2013) Abstract In the last few decades, the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata L., 1758) showed a marked range expansion in Italy. Mating occurs only at night, both in and out of the burrow. The forefoot of the crested porcupine has four well-developed, clawed digits while the thumb is regressed. I spent the weekend before last in Nicaragua, mainly to try to catch some bats. The crested porcupine current distribution outside Africa is limited to Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. Crested porcupine. I can stop being a pest now (at least on this species). Mediterranean-Type Shrubby Vegetation Crested porcupine - Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758 Images from the web. For all these Their long incisors never stop growing, and they gnaw on branches and tree trunks to file their teeth. The Wikimedia Foundation. Crested porcupine - Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758 Images from the web. The crested porcupine’s infraorbital foramen is greatly enlarged so that portions of the masseter extend through it and arise from the frontal side surface of the animal’s snout, resulting in a hystricomorphous condition. On Sicily, the porcupine is widespread, and the long-term population trend appears to be stable. If it is still alone tomorrow I will endeavour to rescue and rear it. (2020a, February 14). Wikipedia. Crested porcupines have high crowned teeth with plane chewing surfaces for grinding plant cells that are then digested in the stomach. The morphology of the penis in porcupine (, Bruno, E. & Riccardi, C. (1995). At 21.15 I saw a Crested Porcupine 70 metres off the road to the west in an olive grove exactly 500 metres south of the Sasso Rosso Agriturismo (I was pretty much at the 500m signpost when I saw the animal to my left, as I was travelling towards Alberese). It mostly eats fruit and tough roots, but has been known to scavenge the remains of dead animals. In Morocco, it is declining and clearly threatened. In mainland Italy, population densities of the crested porcupine are increasing, and the species is expanding its range northwards. In Morocco, the crested porcupine is considered Endangered and is widely used for traditional medicine and witchcraft. Roots predominated in the diet and were consumed at a similar frequency all year round. Crested porcupines weigh 10-30 kilograms or 22-66 pounds. At birth or shortly afterward, the young crested porcupine’s eyes are open and incisors are completely broken through. When menaced, it often chooses to flee, though porcupines can bite or claw adversaries, and may even charge backward, attempting to stab with their quills. It has also been protected under Italian national law since 1974. Some scientists assert that the porcupine was introduced to Italy by the Romans as a game animal, but fossil and subfossil remains suggest it was possibly present in Europe in the Upper Pleistocene. Storch, G. (1990). Such attacks have been known to kill lions, leopard, hyenas, and even humans. They spend the h New Trip Report: Hexigten (inner Mongolia), China, Siberian Tiger Tracking Tour to Russia – Royle Safaris (3), New Book: They have returned – Experiencing Bear, Lynx and Wolf, New Trip Reports: Svalbard and Costa Rica, Know Thy Corvids, Salmon Saver and Garlic Cures Trees | Cool Green Science, Know Thy Corvids, Salmon Saver and Garlic Cures Trees | Gaia Gazette, Western Weasels (and a few other things): California and Oregon. Established in 1964, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species. Quick facts. Renowned for their succulent meat since their introduction by the Romans, crested porcupine quills were used in many ways throughout Europe. Last-minute opening for 1 person to join me in Late Jan-Early Feb in Uganda, Illustrated Checklist of Mammals 2 vol. It can be found along the Mediterranean coast of Africa to northern Zaire and Tanzania. Between 2018 and 2019 the seroprevalence of Leptospira in crested porcupine was investigated for … They have been known to collect thousands of these bones and store them in underground chambers or caves. The crested porcupine lives in burrows, and can be found in North and West Africa, and parts of East Africa and the Mediterranean. Crested porcupine in Munich Zoo Hellabrunn. The crested porcupine is found in several protected areas throughout its range. • “Porcupine” comes from the Latin porcus for pig and spina for spine: “spiny pig.” • All Old World porcupines have spines of some sort, but their spines lack the barbules that characterize the spines of North American porcupines. The species is very commonly sold in local markets. The African Crested Porcupine, also known as a crested porcupine, is one of the world’s largest rodents. Females do not show aggression to familiar males, but are aggressive to unknowns. Artificial/Terrestrial Because the meat of the crested porcupine is considered a delicacy and a favored food item for humans, it is illegally hunted, often with dogs, in most parts of its range. They have clearly visible ears which are as small as their eyes. Vor allem das Südafrikanische Stachelschwein kann eine maximale Körperlänge von über einem Meter bei einem Gewicht von 10 bis maximal 24 Kilogramm erreichen. Porcupine is the largest rodent of the Italian fauna and is widely distributed in mainland and it is also present in Sicily and Sardinia. The crested porcupine is strictly protected under international and domestic legislation in Europe and is found in several protected areas throughout its range. • African crested porcupines are the largest porcupines in the world and the largest rodent in Africa. In this paper the evidence for the introduction of the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata L. 1758) in Italy is reviewed and hypotheses concerning the timing and modalities of this event are brought forward. AFRICAN CRESTED PORCUPINE Hystrix cristata. That road looked like it had good Porcupine potential but it was a park road and shut at 2030. so I decided to focus on the area around Alberese and began spotlighting at 19.45, working the Strada Provincale Alberese that runs south of the town and borders the park, including the side roads off of it. (1990). In Africa, it is generally common throughout the range, although it is becoming increasingly rare in North Africa where there has been a decline in range and population. 2010. A regional American name for the animal is "quill-pig". Just 2 days before I arrived they had returned to the garden to eat a favourite iris. The Crested porcupine is so called due to its back, which can raise, becoming a crest on occasion. It confirms the susceptibility of non-human primates to the EMCV infection. Much of our knowledge of crested porcupine breeding behavior comes from captive individuals. Three weeks later I was enjoying a fabulous – a really fabulous – dinner that Eleanor prepared in her beautiful house, deep in a valley next to Penna San Giovanni. Scientific Name Hystrix cristata. The species may have been extirpated in Egypt since 1980 and has been extinct in heavily-settled parts of Uganda since the 1970’s. I've also lived and worked in London, Canberra, Paris and Lusaka, and visited over 100 countries. Romans are responsible for their presence in Italy. Die Stachelschweine sind mittelgroße bis große Nagetiere. The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), a typical representative of the Old World porcupines, occurs throughout the south of Europe and North and West Africa. Rocky Areas Old world porcupines. Italy is the only European country where the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) lives.A parasitological investigation was performed on faecal samples, aimed to evaluate Giardia and other parasites in a free-ranging crested porcupine population in Central Italy. The porcupine’s angular process is inflected on the lower jaw and the animal’s nasal cavity is enlarged. The soles of the crested porcupine’s paws are naked and have padded soles, and the porcupine’s gait is plantigrade. Subtropical / Tropical Dry (1990). The crested porcupine current distribution outside Africa is limited to Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. Version 2019-3, Atalar, O. I didn’t find any, but did see a heap of Fallow Deer, at least 7 Red Foxes and a couple of Badgers. It can be found along the Mediterranean coast of Africa to northern Zaire and Tanzania. (2006). Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram (2.2 lb); the crested porcupine found in Italy, Sicily, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa can grow to well over 27 kg. The crested porcupine has five teeth in each jaw: one incisor, one premolar and three molars. set, Survey in the Pamir Mountains: Ovis ammon polii and Capra sibirica. PHYSICALITY | ETYMOLOGY | TAXONOMY | RANGE | BEHAVIOR | DIET | REPRODUCTION | ECOSYSTEM | STATUS | IMAGES | FAUNAFACTS | VIDEO | SOURCES. Crested porcupine was present in Europe during Late Pleistocene. Mostly nocturnal, crested porcupines may wander upon the skeletons of many animals at night. In the Mediterranean, it is known from mainland Italy and the island of Sicily, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia; they are also recorded in Ghana, Libya and along the Egyptian coast. The crested porcupine current distribution outside Africa is limited to Sicily and the Italian Peninsula. They are mostly nocturnal and travel long distances to search of food. Description. It is protected under Appendix II of the Bern Convention and is listed on Annex IV of the EU Habitats and Species Directive. This case describes an EMCV outbreak in captive Barbary macaques and crested porcupines in Italy, 5 years after the one reported in lemurs in another Italian open-field zoo park . Then, historical introductions of this large rodent in Italy can be seen as a "soft" Pleistocene rewilding. Globally the crested porcupine is very widespread and is therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. I never did. Crested porcupines are terrestrial, rarely climbing trees. In addition, the porcupine commonly gnaws on bones for calcium and to sharpen incisors. Definitely my most wanted European mammal… Poland, 2017: Naturetrek, 8 days &... Siberian Tiger Tracking Tour Trip Report from Royle Safaris A third group tour to our Siberian Tiger reserve in... Good news for some rare mammals this week including Gilbert’s Potoroos (Australia’s rarest mammal though not quite so rare... I’ve just received a copy of Ralf Burglin’s book on watching and experiencing Europe’s bears, wolves and lynxes “Sie... Hello, we got back from Sumatra on Sunday after an excellent trip with over 60 different species in under... Gillian Whittaker sent me this photo she took on Mt Emei Shan in Sichuan and wondered what species this... […] black bears roamed Manhattan in droves. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The crested porcupine is found in Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. Padded soles, and sub-Saharan Africa, but has been recorded from sea level to 2,550 m 8,370.: very social by Nature, … crested porcupine give it highly effective protection against predators rescue and it. Incisor, one premolar and three molars through winter but they do n't truly.... 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