Hands Down Animals · Printable fact sheet
Porcupine
Erethizontidae (New World) & Hystricidae (Old World)
Quick facts
| Scientific name | Erethizontidae (New World) & Hystricidae (Old World) |
|---|---|
| Size | 40–90 cm (body), plus 15–30 cm tail (species dependent) |
| Weight | 2–27 kg, depending on species |
| Lifespan | Average 5–10 years in wild, up to 27 years in captivity |
| Diet | Mainly herbivorous—leaves, bark, fruits, twigs, roots, some insects and carrion, and bones for minerals. |
| Habitat | Tropical and temperate forests, Savanna and grasslands, Rocky hills and shrubland |
| Where it lives | North America, South America, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (most species), Vulnerable (a few) |
| Population | Unknown, but not considered globally threatened |
| Top speed | 3 km/h |
| Family | Hystricidae (Old World) / Erethizontidae (New World) |
About the porcupine
Porcupines are rodents armoured with quills, which are modified hairs with a sharp tip, and the two families are only distant relatives: Old World porcupines of Africa, Asia and southern Europe live on the ground, while New World porcupines of the Americas climb trees and, in South America, have gripping tails. A North American porcupine carries around 30,000 quills that detach on contact and are barbed so they work inwards; porcupines cannot shoot them. Most species are Least Concern.
Five things to know
- Porcupines are rodents, not related to hedgehogs or armadillos.
- They have up to 30,000 sharp quills that shed but cannot be shot.
- New World porcupines are great climbers, many with prehensile tails.
- Old World porcupines tend to be larger and more terrestrial.
- Some species live over 20 years in captivity.
Homeschool unit: Animals homeschool guide — Habitats, adaptations and food chains as a graded unit, with the porcupine as one of its worked examples.