Hi! We are very unique and third-largest rodents in the world, the Indian Porcupine. We are also called as Indian Crested Porcupine. Have a look at a few interesting things about us:
- We are nocturnal animals meaning we are active during night and sleep during the day. We live in burrows by digging using our very powerful claws.
- Our quills are our specialty. We have black and thick hair called quills that are sharp, making predators not attack us. We stiffen these quills when threatened. We have approximately 30,000 quills on our body
- We can produce rattle sound using our quills.
- The presence of our quills is both advantageous and disadvantageous. Advantages being predators unable to attack us and hold us, disadvantages being a problem in mating and touching each other.
- When we are born, our quills are soft, they become hard as we age.
- Do you know? Our name porcupine comes from old English and French and means “thorny pig”.
- Though we are rodents, we are not really good climbers. But we are excellent swimmers.
SOME QUICK FACTS:
Our Scientific Name: Hystrix indica.
Identification: Black and very big rat-like species with black, sharp, thick and long hair called quills.
Our Habitat: near grasslands, shrublands, forests, plantations, and gardens. Live inside burrows.
Our Range:
Our Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed on plants, agricultural crops, roots, fruits, grains, tubers, bulbs, insects and small animals.
Our Breeding Period: February and March.
Number of cubs born: 2-4.
Our gestation period: about 240 days.
Our Lifespan: about 27 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: not listed
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Hystricidae
Genus: Hystrix
Species: H. Indica
COMPLETE DETAILS FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the Indian Porcupines, also called as Indian Crested Porcupines. We are one of the largest rodent species.
Indian Porcupines are scientifically called as Hystrix indica.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are large rodents with body length of 70cm-90cm, tail length of 8cm-10cm and weigh 11kg-18kg.We are black in color with prominent characteristic quills. These quills multiple layers are modified hair that covers most of our body. The longer and thinner quills cover the thicker and shorter ones. These quills are black and white in color and made up of Keratin. They are flexible and are attached to the muscles. The back and rump of our body have dense quills.
The tail has short and white colored quills. Our feet and hands are broad with long claws. Males and females look similar to males a little larger than females. The young ones of our species have soft quills which harden eventually.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We are nocturnal mammals and are very adaptive to many environments. We prefer living in habitats like grasslands, shrublands, forests, plantations, and gardens. We mostly dig burrows and live inside them or live inside any caves available.
Our range lies in India, Nepal, Pakistan, parts of Middle East, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous animals but mostly have an herbivore diet. Our main diet includes plants, agricultural crops, roots, fruits, grains, tubers, and bulbs. We occasionally eat insects and small animals.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are monogamous animals (having a single mate for a lifetime). Our breeding season is in February and March. The female gives birth to 2-4 young ones at a time and the gestation period is 240 days. The young are taken care of by both the parents.
The pair generally lives in a den at the time of breeding and do not leave the den until the young become 1 year old. The young reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age during which they leave their parents. The average lifespan of our species in captivity is 27 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are nocturnal animals and have powerful claws, with which we dig burrows.
We are not good climbers or jumpers but are good swimmers.
We use our quills by making them stand when threatened or excited.
We can also produce a rattle sound to fend off any threat.
OUR CONSERVATION:
Our adaptive behaviour helps us in thriving in our range. We are abundantly available and are not threatened or vulnerable. We are listed as “Least Concern” by IUCN in its red list. We are also protected in India under Schedule IV of Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
