Porcupines

11 species

The Old World porcupines are large terrestrial rodents known for their spiny covering from which they take their name. They can be found in the south of Europe and Western Asia, most of Africa, India, and maritime Southeast Asia. Porcupines are typically herbivorous and eat fruit, roots, and bulbs. Some species also gnaw on dry bones, perhaps as a source of calcium. Like other rodents, they have powerful gnawing incisors and no canine teeth. After a gestation period between 90 and 112 days, females give birth to one or two young in a grass-lined underground chamber within a burrow system. The young are born more or less fully developed, and their spines, which are initially soft, harden within a few hours of birth. The young remain with the colony until they reach reproductive maturity at around two years of age, and share the burrow system with their parents and siblings from other litters.
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The Old World porcupines are large terrestrial rodents known for their spiny covering from which they take their name. They can be found in the south of Europe and Western Asia, most of Africa, India, and maritime Southeast Asia. Porcupines are typically herbivorous and eat fruit, roots, and bulbs. Some species also gnaw on dry bones, perhaps as a source of calcium. Like other rodents, they have powerful gnawing incisors and no canine teeth. After a gestation period between 90 and 112 days, females give birth to one or two young in a grass-lined underground chamber within a burrow system. The young are born more or less fully developed, and their spines, which are initially soft, harden within a few hours of birth. The young remain with the colony until they reach reproductive maturity at around two years of age, and share the burrow system with their parents and siblings from other litters.
show less