What do crested porcupines eat

The porcupettes are born with open eyes and developed teeth, though the quills on their backs are soft. They leave the den about a week later, just as their quills begin to harden. They weigh between 22 and 66 pounds. They live about 20 years, both in the wild and in captivity. African crested porcupines are not endangered, but because they eat cultivated crops they are seen as agricultural pests.

Farmers use dogs to hunt them or smoke them out of their burrows; in some areas, farmers illegally use poison to kill them. They are also killed for their quills, which are used as ornaments and talismans. In North Africa they are killed and sold to be used in traditional medicine. Help expand the Oregon Zoo's local and global conservation efforts by joining our Conservation Circle.

They live together sharing an elaborate burrow system, which they may remain in during winter, although they do not undergo true hibernation. The North African crested porcupine is monogamous. Females usually have only one litter per year, containing one or two or, occasionally three offspring. Predators of the North African crested porcupine include lions, leopards, large birds of prey and hyenas. When confronted, the North African crested porcupine raises and fans its quills to appear large and imposing.

Weight 44 lb 20 kg Size Tracks and Scat. Only when threatened. Social Structure Crested porcupines are social animals that live in small family groups. Behavior Crested porcupines are nocturnal animals that spend the daytime hours in caves, holes under trees, or in burrows dug by other animals.

Diet Crested porcupines eat a strictly herbivorous diet of roots, bulbs, bark, and fruit. Breeding A male crested porcupine courts a female by walking up to her on his two back legs and grooming her. Did you know? Khan, A. Deterioration impact of Indian crested porcupine, Hystrix indica , on irrigated forest plantations in Punjab Pakistan.

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