Cape Porcupine

cape porcupine and baby

Cape Porcupine

Hystrix africaeaustralis
Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Hystricidae

Range

Southern and central Africa, north to southern Kenya, Uganda, and Congo

Size

Length: 25 - 32 in
Tail length: 4.3 - 7.9 in
Weight: 22 - 53 lbs

Habitat

Wide range of habitats from sea level to 6,600 ft

Young

Porcupettes: 1 - 3 (usually 1)
Gestation: 94 days

Diet

Fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark

IUCN Status

Least Concern

The Cape porcupine is the largest porcupine in the world, alongside the nearly identical African crested porcupine.

Cape porcupines are a terrestrial species of porcupine, otherwise known as “Old World” porcupines.

cape porcupines eating

Masters of the Burrow

These are nocturnal animals, so they mostly sleep inside their burrows during the day and forage for food at night. They will dig their own burrows or take over abandoned aardvark burrows. A family group will develop an extensive inter-connected burrow system.

cape porcupine quills

Quilled Defenders

Cape porcupines have long, white quills running the length of their backs that, when raised, make the animals appear at least twice as large as they actually are. When disturbed, they stamp their feet and charge the enemy, back end first, attempting to stab with the thicker, shorter quills. Such attacks have been known to kill lions, leopard, hyenas, and humans.

cape porcupines and baby

Porcupettes

At birth, the baby porcupines, called porcupettes, are covered in soft, sensitive bristles rather than hard quills. Young porcupines begin eating solid food around one month old but continue to nurse for up to four months. They stay with their parents in small family groups for several more months before venturing out on their own to find mates.