Porcupine

[nan]

wow... you too

[nan]

Craig Lockardt

16.1.2012

17.1.2012

18.1.2012



several days with the quills... and not in good shape at all

[Lisbeth]

Nice one Toko

Not a nice one, Nan

[Flutterby]

Ouch! Was the one in the first pic dead, nan?

[nan]

was 2 brothers... with a lot and a lot of difficulties... simply to move
I saw both of them several days... then I have to leave in the South
don't know what happened to this one

[ExFmem]

Thanks for all your contributions! I had no idea they were such a relatively rarely seen mammal there. A bit more info.:

Diet
Cape porcupines eat mostly plant material: fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark. They have also been reported to gnaw on carrion and bones.

Behaviour
Cape porcupines are nocturnal (although they may be seen during the day) and monogamous, typically living as mated pairs of adults, caring for any young together. Each pair may inhabit up to six burrows, jointly defending their shared territory, although they typically forage as individuals. Both sexes scent mark their territory, although males do so more frequently, and may play a more active role in its defense. The size of the home range varies depending on the local habitat and availability of food, but can range between at least 67 and 203 hectares (170 and 500 acres).

Reproduction
Because of their dangerous anatomy, females initiate mating by presenting to the males.

Cape porcupines mate throughout the year, although births are most common during the rainy season, between August and March. Unless a previous litter is lost, females typically give birth only once each year. Gestation lasts around 94 days, and results in the birth of a litter of up to three young, although over half of births are of singletons. Both parents give long-term care to young.

Young are born relatively well-developed, with their eyes open and teeth present. Newborn young initially have soft quills (most likely to ease the birthing process). They are weaned at around 100 days of age, and grow rapidly for the first twenty weeks, reaching the full adult size, and sexual maturity, at the end of their first year. After the weaning of their young, female porcupines can not conceive for another three to five months.

Relative to most other rodents, Cape porcupines are long-lived, surviving for up to 15 years in the wild.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/a ... australis/

http://tenikwa.org/index.php/2012-03-27 ... porcupines

[nan]

[nan]

I found only that

20.3.2013

[Flutterby]

Porcupine left-overs!

[Tina]

Kieliekrankie 12.10.2013