Crested Porcupine
The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and East Africa. Alongside the Cape porcupine, it is one of the largest porcupine species in the world. It is the only species of porcupine found in Europe. == Characteristics == The adult crested porcupine has an average head and body length around 60 to 83 cm (24 to 33 in) long, discounting the tail, and weighs from 13 to 27 kg (29 to 60 lb). It is one of the largest rodents in the world. Almost the entire body is covered with bristles which are either dark brown or black and rather coarse. This mammal is recognizable by the quills that run along the head, nape, and back that can be raised into a crest, hence the name crested porcupine. Also, some sturdier quills which are about 35 cm (14 in) in length run along the sides and back half of the body. These sturdier quills are used, for the most part, for defense and are usually marked with light and dark bands which alternate; these are not firmly…
Kidepo Valley National Park
Uganda
+133 birds+29 mammals
Where granite peaks rise above sweeping savanna and acacia woodlands meet riverine forests, one of Africa’s most remote wilderness sanctuaries […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMurchison Falls National Park
Uganda
+129 birds+30 mammals
Where the Victoria Nile surges through a narrow rocky chasm and plummets 43 metres in a thunderous cascade, Uganda’s oldest […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPollino National Park
Viggianello, Italy
+102 birds+23 mammals
Where the southern Apennines rise toward the sky in jagged limestone peaks, forests of Bosnian pine cling to precipitous slopes […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSila National Park
San Giovanni in Fiore, Italy
+133 birds+17 mammals
Where ancient beech forests rise above a high Calabrian plateau, Italy’s wilderness core reveals itself in dramatic relief. At elevations […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCirceo National Park
Italy
+140 birds+10 mammals
Where the Tyrrhenian Sea collides with limestone ridges and Mediterranean scrub, an ancient landscape unfolds along Italy’s southern Lazio coast. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDell’Arcipelago Toscano National Park
Italy
+128 birds+22 mammals
Azure waters lap against wind-sculpted granite islands where Mediterranean macchia clings to rocky slopes and pine forests crown the hilltops. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCasentinesi Forests, Monte Falterona, Campigna National Park
Santa Sofia, Italy
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where granite ridges rise above 1,600 meters through the heart of Tuscany and Romagna, beech forests transition into alpine meadows […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDella Majella National Park
Pacentro, Italy
+53 birds+14 mammals
Where limestone massifs pierce the Apennine spine, a realm of vertical drama unfolds across nearly 75,000 hectares of pristine Italian […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park
Pietracamela, Italy
+78 birds+18 mammals
Where granite massifs pierce the Apennine spine, weathered limestone cliffs rise from verdant beech forests in a landscape of dramatic […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSibillini Mountains National Park
Ussita, Italy
+123 birds+27 mammals
Where limestone ridges claw toward 2,476 metres, ancient beech forests surrender to alpine meadows and windswept crags that define the […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGargano National Park
Cagnano Varano, Italy
+133 birds+12 mammals
Where limestone plateaus rise abruptly from the Adriatic coast, a spur of land juts into southern Italy bearing one of […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDell’Appennino Tosco-Emiliano National Park
Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy
+120 birds+30 mammals
Where the Apennine spine rises between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, beech forests give way to windswept alpine meadows and dramatic limestone […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCilento, Vallo di Diano e Alburni National Park
Campora, Italy
+76 birds+17 mammals
Limestone cliffs plunge toward the Tyrrhenian Sea while ancient beech forests crown the interior highlands, creating a mosaic of Mediterranean […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAbijata-Shalla Lakes National Park
Ethiopia
+135 birds+22 mammals
Where two soda lakes mirror the Ethiopian highlands, a landscape of stark volcanic beauty unfolds across the Rift Valley floor. […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBale Mountains National Park
Ethiopia
+126 birds+29 mammals
Where volcanic plateaus rise above 4,000 meters and alpine meadows give way to Afromontane forest, one of Africa’s most pristine […]
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.