Porcupine

Hystrix cristcrta

By: Melissa

Classification:

Kingdom: Animailia
Phylum:Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentina
Family: Hystricidae
Genus:Hystrix
Species: Cristata

Physical Description

There are 22 species of porcupines. All of these species have quills. A quill is a bunch of hair that is grown together. The porcupine has about 30,000 quills. These quills covor the sides and the back of the porcupines body. There are barb-like fish hooks at the end of the quills. The porcupine have small heads short legs and a rounded shape. Their coat is dard brown to light black.

Diet and Feeding Habits

In the zoo this is what they feed them, 1 yam, 1 apple, 1/3 bunch of spinach. In the wild what they find for food is roots, bulbs, fruits, berries, leaves, grass, seeds and dandelions! The porcupine is a herbivore.

Reproduction

The porcupine do not reproduce in large numbers. They only have one offspring a year (rarely 2). Porcupines live in large groups and baby porcupines have their quills at birth.

Habitat

The habitat of the american porcupine is mostly coniferous forests and trees such as pine and firs. Porcupines also like to lived in logs, and old buildings.

Role in the Ecosystem

My animal (Porcupine) is a herbivore it eats berries, fruit, leaves, and grass. The porcupine is also prey for the fisher. They have a special way to flip them over and rip there stomach out and eat the rest of the body.

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