After using its specialized teeth to grind the plant matter, undigested fibres are retained in its enlarged functional appendix where they are broken-down by symbiotic gut microorganisms. Amsel, Sheri. Between one and four young are born in the grass-lined burrow. This is any inheritable trait that increases it’s survival rate so that it can live longer, reproduce longer, and have more offspring (that also have that trait). They weigh approximately 50 lbs. Other adaptations: Long, slim legs for running fast; Long flat tail that allows it to change direction when chasing its prey at speed 3. 0000007312 00000 n Spots and Stripes The black & white quills along the head and back can be raised into a crest, thus the name. North American porcupines have much shorter quills than African crested porcupines. The quills are an ingenious defense because they each sit in a sheath that allows them to release easily when a predator touches them. They consume a variety of natural and agricultural plant material, including roots, bulbs, fruits, grains, drupe and tubers, along with insects and small vertebrates. 0000004127 00000 n They are rodents with long, sharp front teeth that grow throughout their lives. 0000007809 00000 n 1. Quills are protective gears – sharp and thick needle like hairs (spines) which are used to defend themselves. Porcupines are lumbering, rotund rodents with needle-like spikes, called quills, covering their back, sides, and tail. All these physical adaptations help the porcupine to survive in its habitat. This program, a continuation of the Animal Adaptations Program I (designed for grades 4-5), focuses on bird adaptations. They have a small head and their body is covered with sharp quills (thick needle-like hairs). o7�Z��b���B��,&z@��< ����� "ʰ � �6 endstream endobj 81 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[9 46]/Length 20/Size 55/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream These quills are modified hairs that form a multi-layered spiny defense. %PDF-1.4 %���� ("The South African Porcupine Page", 1999; Smithers, 1983)Biogeographic Regions; ethiopian. They are rodents with long, sharp front teeth that grow throughout their lives. 0000001271 00000 n Family Hystricidae. If continually bothered, the crested porcupine will stamp its feet, whirr the quills, and charge the disturber back end first trying to stab the enemy with the t… 0000010931 00000 n The crest starts from the top of the head and goes down to the shoulders. Appearance Female porcupines are about one kilogram heavier than males, weighing 10-24 kg and males with a mass of 10-19 kg. Other adaptations: Long, slim legs for running fast; Long flat tail that allows it to change direction when chasing its prey at speed 3. 0000001817 00000 n South African porcupines are found from sea level to 2000 m above sea level in most areas with vegetation. Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Further, their pointed end has a tiny barb, like a fishhook, that once entered into an animals skin does not pull out easily. Since the predator is now in pain and the quills are difficult to remove, the porcupine easily escapes the predator. I sat super super still not wanting to get quilled. The quills themselves are essentially modified hairs. They eat leaves, twigs, buds and even bark. 3. When another animal attacks the porcupine, its quills detach, burrowing into the adversary’s flesh and inflicting painful, potentially deadly wounds. Indian crested porcupines have a very broad and mostly herbivorous diet. December 23, 2020< http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Adaptations-of-the-Porcupine >. This is any inheritable trait that increases it’s survival rate so that it can live longer, reproduce longer, and have more offspring (that also have that trait). Quills sometimes dig into fleshy areas and eventually may kill the predator by causing infections or by stabbing vital areas. The solid and sharp quills, covering the body of this animal, serve as a mean of self-defense against predators and are 35 cm (14 in) in length, displaying alternating light and dark stripes. Porcupine or Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) Order Rodentia. Their quill lengths vary on different parts of the body, anywhere from 1” to 12” on their back. Some quills, like those of Africa's crested porcupine, are nearly a foot long. 0000003615 00000 n Since the predator is now in pain and the quills are difficult to remove, the porcupine easily escapes the predator. 0000016137 00000 n These are African Crested Porcupines one of the largest rodents in the world. They are well-developed and are born with open eyes. They eat leaves, twigs, buds and even bark. 0000002205 00000 n Adaptation in the Porcupine Adaptation in a population of living things happens as a result of an adaptive trait. Porcupine Quills Porcupines have soft hair, but on their back, sides, and tail it is usually mixed with sharp quills. I sat super super still not wanting to get quilled. Although the crested porcupine has been confirmed as a “generalist” species in terms of food selection, with adaptations to dig underground storage organs, a strong preference for fruits and epigeal parts of plants was detected in our study. Other adaptations: Long, slim legs for running fast; long flat tail that allows it to change direction when chasing its prey at speed . Their brown quills are barbed and snag the predator’s flesh. Please Login or Subscribe to access downloadable content. Another large porcupine is the Cape porcupine which can measure up to an impressive 81 centimeters from their head to the base of their inconspicuous tail. Hys­trix are highly adapt­able, found in forests, rocky areas, moun­tains, crop­lands, and sand­hill deserts (Nowak 1991; Grz­imek 1990). The young leave home for the first time at about two weeks of age, as their quills — soft at birth — begin to harden. There are very few predators that can successfully attack and feed on a porcupine because of the 30,000 quills that cover their head back and tail running in a dorsal band. h�b```b``�������� ̀ �,`ȱ��e��m�0KXa�{`fF�� �" (f`ab�nf`�a4a`;���|�ч��At��\�t���\d���X(v2�:7� “Porcupine” means “quill pig.” Some animals kill and eat porcupines, but the quills are very sharp and pull out easily. Human also eat porcupines in some places. Its body is covered with coarse quills 1 to 13 inches long and of varying thicknesses. The Crested porcupine is so called due to its back, which can raise, becoming a crest on occasion. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Their brown quills are barbed and snag the predator’s flesh. Wild crested porcupines can be found in parts of Italy such as Sicily. What modern threat do porcupines face in their daily search for food from which their adaptive traits cannot protect them. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. • The word porcupine means ‘quill pig.’ • They are the largest rodent in Africa and the largest of the porcupines. When disturbed, they raise and fan quills to create an illusion of greater size (Nowak 1991). The quills of crested porcupines serve as an effective defense against predation. Habitats: Many habitats from forest to desert . Family Hystricidae. Their tails are covered with shorter white quills, while their neck, shoulders and rears are covered with a crest of long quills up to 5 … Porcupines have special adaptations to help them chew. trailer <<04598E46D65645A2B0D750191D5B0399>]/Prev 340489/XRefStm 1105>> startxref 0 %%EOF 82 0 obj <>stream They have sharp claws and can climb trees to feed on the bark and twigs high off the ground. Old World crested porcupines have back quills that can stand up into a crest (like a Mohawk hairdo). The “crested” adjective comes from its mane composed of black and white banded hairs that extend from the top of its head to its tail. The high hind legs of a cheetah are a physical adaptation. Both sexes are about 84 cm in length. and are about 30” in length, and have very poor vision. Name two other living things that have an adaptive trait like the porcupine and how their adaptations help repel predators. Porcupines. Although the crested porcupine has been confirmed as a “generalist” species in terms of food selection, with adaptations to dig underground storage organs, a strong preference for fruits and epigeal parts of plants was detected in our study. Crested porcupine Habitats: Many habitats from forest to desert Obvious adaptation: Quills Helps it survive by: Defence against predators, … 0000019499 00000 n 0000028168 00000 n The African porcupine is the largest rodent in the regions they inhabit. Because they are cecal digesters, they … 0000028433 00000 n Porcupines are considered exotic pets because they are wild animals and not typically kept as pets. Mostly herbivorous, this rodent forages long distances in search of food and lives … Porcupines have special adaptations to help them chew. Their body is armed with long pliable spines, flattened bristly hairs and stout sharp quills. To view these resources with no ads, please Login or Subscribe (and help support our site). Both sexes are about 84 cm in length. H�\��j�0����\/JM�L��Z��������8�E�~RT:���g�_����s�IF�ah�0ɶs6�8�B��Ή$��k��i�6}�E���. 0000019119 00000 n Porcupines are very well adapted for their lives in the woods. They are herbivores, primarily eating roots, tubers, bark and fallen fruit, and will seek out cultivated root crops like potatoes and carrots, making them agricultural pests. Porcupines are nocturnal rodents. 0000003287 00000 n 0000003203 00000 n The porcupine has adaptive traits that help it survive in its forest habitat.1. The spines and quills cover the posterior two thirds of its back and can get up 50cm and 30cm respectively. The annual migration of the monarch butterfly is a behavioral adaptation; while a chameleon, changing its skin color for camouflage, displays a physiological adaptation. The amazingly strong front feet allow the animal excavate substantial burrows. Additional significant descriptive information. Porcupines. Their unique features have generated great interests from some humans but a majority of us wouldn't be looking to keep porcupines as pets. When a porcupine is approached by a predator, it will turn its back and raise its quills to make them more accessible to a predators face. A porcupine's prickly coat of quills is its first line of defence. Crested porcupine . • Porcupines often gnaw bones for their minerals and also to sharpen their powerful incisors. The crested porcupine is a mainly nocturnal mammal that shows both moonlight avoidance and some diurnal motor activity, the latter as an extension of its night-time foraging behaviour. 0000016024 00000 n They have sharp claws and can climb trees to feed on the bark and twigs high off the ground. 0000002700 00000 n Spots and Stripes Location: Small Animal Building 5. Name two other living things that have an adaptive trait like the porcupine and how their adaptations help repel predators.3. "Adaptations of the Porcupine" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2020. This rodent has rather long quills of up to 16 inches. Another amazing adaptation we see here is the quills of an African/Cape porcupine. The amazingly strong front … A total of 44 pairs of crested porcupines with a litter was observed in three years (Sett 1, N = 10; Sett 2, N = 14; Sett 3, N = 12; Sett 4, N = 8): 59% singletons, 32% twins, 9% triplets.Births occurred throughout the year, with the highest number of litters in February and in October, as well as with the highest number of cubs in mid-winter (). The crested porcupine is an Old World porcupine inhabiting Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa named for its impressive and defensive crest of 35 centimeter-long quills. The North African crested porcupine is the largest. Crested porcupine Habitats: Many habitats from forest to desert Obvious adaptation: Quills Helps it survive by: Defence against predators, … Quills easily detach from their body and attach to the predatory animals. They shel­ter in caves, rock crevices, aard­vark holes, or bur­rows they dig them­selves (Grz­imek 1990). 0000004556 00000 n A single porcupine can have more than 30,000 quills, which are actually sharp bristles of fused hair. They are nocturnal and monogamous. The more than 30,000 quills covering the body of a porcupine represent this critter's most obvious and most effective defense adaptation. 0000000856 00000 n 0000004031 00000 n The crested porcupine is a terrestrial mammal; they very seldom climb trees, but can swim. The most characteristic feature about porcupines is obviously that they are quill bearing rodents. 55 0 obj <> endobj xref 55 28 0000000016 00000 n The crested porcupine is an Old World porcupine inhabiting Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa named for its impressive and defensive crest of 35 centimeter-long quills. The crested porcupine lives in burrows, and can be found in North and West Africa, and parts of East Africa and the Mediterranean. They are good diggers. Porcupines are nocturnal rodents. Adaptation in a population of living things happens as a result of an adaptive trait. Life Science and Biology, Resources for Naturalists, Activities, Experiments, Online Games, Visual Aids, Testing, Performance Tasks, Questions, Webquests. Porcupine Quills Porcupines have soft hair, but on their back, sides, and tail it is usually mixed with sharp quills. Porcupine or Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) Order Rodentia. Author Last Name, First Name(s). They have as many as 30,000 quills on the back, tail and sides and use them as a defense against predators. 3. Obvious adaptation: Quills . The African porcupine is the largest rodent in the regions they inhabit. The African crested porcupine is the largest porcupine in the world. Name two of the porcupine’s adaptive traits and how each helps it survive:2. Helps it survive by: Defence against predators, can … Name two of the porcupine’s adaptive traits and how each helps it survive: 2. Crested porcupines reach adult weight at one to two years and are often sexually mature just before then. It lives in hilly, rocky habitats in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and Italy. Hystrix africaeaustralis is found only in sub-saharan Africa, excluding the coastal desert of the southwest. Mostly herbivorous, this rodent forages long distances in search of food and lives and breeds in underground burrows in monogamy. Coat of quills is its first line of Defence use dogs to hunt them or smoke them out of.. Smoke them out of burrows are barbed and snag the predator is now in pain the. ‘ old World crested porcupines have much shorter quills than African crested porcupines tail and sides and them. An ingenious defense because they are wild animals and not typically kept pets! Each helps it survive:2 all winter, usually at night ( nocturnal,. 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