Large rodents covered in sharp quills. The Old World and New World porcupines look alike but aren’t closely related. The largest is the third-largest living rodent, after the capybara and beaver.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Its barbed quills pierce skin, stay in and hurt more coming out.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Old World porcupines are strictly nocturnal; North American ones often rest in trees on summer days.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
In Kenya, porcupines have become crop pests and are eaten as a delicacy.
At a glance
Found inAfrica, Asia, North America, Europe, South America
HabitatForest, Grassland, Scrub
ColoursBlack, White, Brown
SizeMedium
Length60–90 cm, plus a 20–25 cm tail
Weight5–16 kg
Legs4
Covered inQuills
Lives alone
Lives for15–20 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Old World porcupines: Italy, West and South Asia and most of Africa. New World porcupines: North America and northern South America.
- What it eats
- Plants: leaves, twigs, bark, roots, fruit and crops.
Did you know
Cannot shoot its quills — that part is a myth.
New World porcupines climb trees, and some species spend their whole lives in them.
Often confused with
On these lists
Sources
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Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
