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Porcupine

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	Porcupine
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	Topics Porcupine Topic Home Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. They are endemic in both the Old WorldOld World Summary The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Eu... and the New WorldNew World The New World is one of the names used for the Americas.... . After the capybaraCapybara The capybara is a semi-aquatic herbivorous animal, the largest of living rodents.... and the beaverBeaver Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe.... , Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents. Most porcupines are about long, with an long tail. Weighing between , they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come in various shades of brown, grey, and the unusual white. The name "porcupine" comes from Middle FrenchMiddle French Middle French is a historical division of the French language which covers the period from 1340 to 1611 .... porc d'épine "thorny pig". Porcupines' spiny protection resembles that of the distantly related Erinaceomorph hedgehogHedgehog A hedgehog is any of the small spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Insectivora.... s and more distantly related MonotremeMonotreme Monotremes are mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young like marsupials and placental mammals .... EchidnaEchidna Echidnas, sometimes also referred to as "spiny anteaters", are the only surviving monotremes apart from the Platypus.... s. Species A porcupine is any of 27 speciesSpecies In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity.... of rodentRodent Rodentia is an order of mammals . Members of the order Rodentia are called rodents.... belonging to the families Erethizontidae or Hystricidae. All defend themselves with hair modified into sharp spines. Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's PorcupineRothschild's Porcupine Rothschild's Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family.... of South AmericaSouth America South America is a continent situated in the western hemisphere and, mostly, the southern hemisphere, bordered on the west b... weighs less than a kilogram (); the African Porcupine can grow to well over . The two families of porcupines are quite different and although both belong to the HystricognathiHystricognathi Hystricognathi is an infraorder of rodents.... branch of the vast order RodentRodent Rodentia is an order of mammals . Members of the order Rodentia are called rodents.... ia, they are not closely related.. The eleven Old World porcupineOld World porcupine The Old World porcupines are large representatives of the terrestrial rodent mammals, distinguished by their spiny covering ... s are almost exclusively terrestrial, tend to be fairly large, and have quills that are grouped in clusters. They are believed to have separated from the other hystricognaths about 30 million years ago, much earlier than the New World porcupines. The twelve New World porcupineNew World porcupine The New World porcupines are large terrestrial rodents, distinguished by their spiny covering from which they take their nam... s are mostly smaller (although the North American PorcupineNorth American Porcupine The North American Porcupine, also known as Canadian Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family.... reaches about in length and ), have their quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees. The New World porcupines evolved their spines independently (through convergent evolutionConvergent evolution In evolutionary biology, convergent evolution describes the process whereby organisms not closely related independently acqu... ) and are more closely related to several other families of rodent than they are to the Old World porcupines. Quills Porcupines' quills or spines take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of keratinKeratin Keratins are a family of fibrous structural proteins; tough and insoluble, they form the hard but nonmineralized structures ... , and they are embedded in the skinSkin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial tissues th... musculature. Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) have quills embedded in clusters, whereas in New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur, and hair. Porcupine quills are as sharp as needleNeedle A Needle may refer to an object:... s, detach very easily, and will remain embedded in an attacker. Unlike needles, however, the quills of New World porcupines have microscopic, backwards-facing barbBarb Barb may refer to:* A backward-facing point on a fishing hook or similar implement, rendering extraction from the victim's ... s on the tip that catch on the skin making them difficult and painful to extract, though they must be removed. Quills are about long and wide. If a quill becomes lodged in the tissues of a would-be attacker, the barbs act to pull the quill further into the tissues with the normal muscle movements of the attacker, moving up to several millimeters in a day. Predators have been known to die as a result of quill penetration and infection. Quills are still capable of penetrating animals and humans even after death. Habitats Porcupines occupy a wide range of habitats in tropical and temperate parts of AsiaAsia Asia is the largest and most populous continent or region, depending on the definition.... , ItalyItaly Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country.... , AfricaAfrica Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth.... , and NorthNorth America North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere.... and South AmericaSouth America South America is a continent situated in the western hemisphere and, mostly, the southern hemisphere, bordered on the west b... . Porcupines live in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops, hillsides and grasslands. Some new world porcupines live in trees, but old world porcupines stay on the ground. Porcupines can be found on rocky areas up to high. Salt licks Porcupines in search of saltSodium chloride Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with the formula NaCl.... sometimes encroach on human habitats, eating plywoodPlywood Overview Plywood was the first type of engineered wood to be invented.... cured with sodium nitrateSodium nitrate Sodium nitrate is a type of salt which has long been used as an ingredient in explosives and in solid rocket propellants, as... , certain paints, and tool handles, footwear, clothes and other items that have been coated in salty sweat. Porcupines are attracted to roads in areas where rock salt is used to melt ice and snow, and are known to gnaw on vehicle tires or wiring coated in road salt. Salt licks placed nearby can prevent porcupines from injuring themselves. Natural sources of salt consumed by porcupines include varieties of salt-rich plants (such as yellow water lily and aquatic liverwort), fresh animal bones, outer tree bark, mud in salt-rich soils, and objects impregnated with urineUrine }Urine is liquid produced by an animal's kidney, collected in the bladder and excreted through the urethra.... . Porcupines as food In parts of AfricaAfrica Africa is one of the greatest sized continents of the Earth.... and EuropeEurope Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth.... , porcupines are eaten as a form of bushmeatBushmeat Bushmeat is the term commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throu... . Porcupine meat is also appreciated in some regions of ItalyItaly Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European country.... and VietnamVietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is a country in Southeast Asia.... . Etymology and Mythology The name "porcupine" comes from Middle FrenchFacts About Middle French Middle French is a historical division of the French language which covers the period from 1340 to 1611 .... porc d'épine which could be translated as "thorny", "spined", or "quilled" "pork" or "pig", hence the nickname "quill pig" for the animal. A group of porcupines is called a "prickle". From ancient times it was believed that porcupines can throw their quills at an enemy. This has long been refuted, being the result of loose quills being shaken free. Order RodentRodent Rodentia is an order of mammals . Members of the order Rodentia are called rodents.... ia Suborder HystricomorphaFacts About Hystricomorpha The term Hystricomorpha has had many definitions throughout its history.... Infraorder HystricognathiHystricognathi Overview Hystricognathi is an infraorder of rodents.... Family Hystricidae: Old World porcupines African Brush-tailed PorcupineAfrican Brush-tailed Porcupine The African Brush-Tailed Porcupine is a species of rat-like Old World porcupine called "brush-tailed porcupines".... , Atherurus africanus Asiatic Brush-tailed PorcupineAsiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine Summary The Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.... , Atherurus macrourus African Porcupine, Hystrix cristata Cape PorcupineCape Porcupine Overview The Cape Porcupine or South African Porcupine, *Hystrix africaeaustralis, is a species of Old World porcupine... , Hystrix africaeaustralis* Himalayan PorcupineHimalayan Porcupine The Himalayan or Chinese Porcupine is a species of porcupine found in eastern Asia.... , Hystrix hodgsoni Indian PorcupineIndian Porcupine The Indian Porcupine or Indian Crested Porcupine is a member of the Old World porcupines.... , Hystrix indicus Malayan PorcupineMalayan Porcupine The Malayan Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.... , Hystrix brachyura Sunda PorcupineSunda Porcupine The Sunda Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.... , Hystrix javanica Sumatran PorcupineSumatran Porcupine The Sumatran Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.... , Hystrix sumatrae Bornean Porcupine, Thecurus crassispinis Philippine Porcupine, Thecurus pumilis Long-tailed PorcupineLong-tailed Porcupine The Long-tailed Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.... , Trichys fasciculata Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats Family Petromuridae: Dassie Rat Family Bathyergidae: African mole-rats Family Hydrochaeridae: capybara Family CaviidaeCaviidae The Cavy family is divided in three subfamilies:... : cavies Family DasyproctidaeDasyproctidae The Dasyproctidae are a family of South American rodents, comprising three genera. ... : agoutis and acouchis Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines Brazilian PorcupineBrazilian Porcupine The Brazilian Porcupine is a porcupine found in tropical forests in Mexico and throughout much of South America.... , Coendou prehensilis Bicolor-spined Porcupine, Coendou bicolor Koopman's PorcupineKoopman's Porcupine The Koopman's Porcupine, Coendou nycthemera, is a porcupine species from the Erethizontidae family endemic to northern B... , Coendou koopmani Rothschild's PorcupineRothschild's Porcupine Rothschild's Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family.... , Coendou rothschildi Mexican Tree Porcupine, Sphiggurus mexicanus South American Tree PorcupineSouth American Tree Porcupine Overview The South American Tree Porcupine, Sphiggurus spinosus, is a South American porcupine species from the Erethizontidae fa... , Sphiggurus spinosus Bahia Hairy Dwarf PorcupineBahia Hairy Dwarf Porcupine The Bahia Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, Sphiggurus insidiosus, is a porcupine species from the Erethizontidae family endemic to... , Sphiggurus insidiosus Pallid Hairy Dwarf PorcupinePallid Hairy Dwarf Porcupine The Pallid Hairy Dwarf Porcupine was a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family.... , Sphiggurus pallidus (extinct) Brown Hairy Dwarf PorcupineBrown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine The Brown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family.... , Sphiggurus vestitus Orange-spined Hairy Dwarf PorcupineOrange-spined Hairy Dwarf Porcupine The Orange-spined Hairy Dwarf Porcupine, Sphiggurus villosus, is a porcupine species from the Erethizontidae family ende... , Sphiggurus villosus North American PorcupineNorth American Porcupine The North American Porcupine, also known as Canadian Porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family.... , Erethizon dorsatum Stump-tailed PorcupineStump-tailed Porcupine The Stump-tailed Porcupine is a species of rodent in the Erethizontidae family.... , Echinoprocta rufescens Bristle-spined PorcupineBristle-spined Porcupine The Bristle-spined Porcupine, *Chaetomys subspinosus, is an arboreal rodent from Brazil.... , Chaetomys subspinosus* (sometimes considered an echymid) Family ChinchillidaeChinchillidae The family Chinchillidae contains the chinchillas, viscachas, and their fossil relatives.... : chinchillas and allies Family Ctenomyidae: tuco-tucoTuco-tuco The tuco-tucos are members of a group of rodents that belong to the family Ctenomyidae.... s Family Myocastoridae: Coypu Family OctodontidaeOctodontidae The Octodontidae are a family of South American rodents.... : octodonts Family Ctenodactylidae: gundis External links - NatureMapping Program Pacific Northwest National Laboratory hosted by the