Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine
Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House
Did You Know?
- These animals, also called Brazilian porcupines, can grasp branches with their prehensile tail.
- They are nocturnal, foraging for fruit at night and sleeping up in the tree canopy by day.
- When threatened, they sit on their back legs and shake their quills. They also curl up to protect their soft belly.
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Overview
Scientific Name: Coendou prehensilis
Class: Mammals
Diet: Fruit and immature seeds (also bark)
Range: South American tropics east of the Andes
Endangered Status: Least Concern
More Information
Prehensile-tailed porcupines are rodents noted for their short, thick quills. Their colors vary from yellowish to black and they may measure up to 24 inches long from nose tip to the base of the tail. They weigh between 4–11 pounds. They have tails that are almost as long as the rest of their body.
Females go through more than six months of gestation and give birth to a single offspring, called a porcupette. Porcupettes are born with their eyes open and can already climb. They reach full size at around 11 months.
