The Porcupine.

The Cape porcupine or South African porcupine - Hystrix africaeaustralis - are the largest rodents in southern Africa and also the world's largest porcupines.  They are indigenous to Africa and are mostly nocturnal.

Description

They are rounded, large, have a coat of sharp spines or quills, that defend and camouflage them from predators. Porcupines come in various shades of brown, grey, and the unusual white. They weigh between 23 and 53lb (10 to –24 kg). The body is covered in long spines up to 5 centimetres (2.0 in) in length, interspersed with thicker, sharply pointed, defence quills up to 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long and with bristly, blackish or brownish fur. The spines on the tail are hollow and used to make a rattling sound to scare away predators. Eyes and ears are relatively small, the whiskers are short and the feet have five clawed toes.

Food

They are herbivores, eating mainly fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs and bark. They forage on the ground.

Breeding

They mate throughout the year, with females giving birth only once each year. Gestation lasts around 94 days, and results in the birth of a litter of up to three young. Newborn young weigh 300 to 440 grams (11 to 16 oz) and initially have soft quills. They are weaned at around 100 days and grow rapidly for the first twenty weeks, reaching the full adult size and sexual maturity, at the end of their first year.

Ask Aves Birding Tours to create a tour for you or book on one of the Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to see these amazing porcupines.

Aves Arid Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves Eastern Cape Birding Tour / Safari /Adventure.

Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves Western Cape Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves West Coast Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.