Indian crested porcupine
Porcupines are amongst the largest of the rodents weighing between 24 to 40 lb. (11 to 18 kg) and measuring from nose to tail between 31 to 39 in. (78 to 100 cm). As with all members of this family their incisor teeth must be in regular use to keep them in trim and prevent them from over growing.
The most distinctive feature of this mammal is the converted body hair, most of which is seen as a protective covering of sharp ended spines. These may be raised or lowered at will, both for body protection and as a means of communication. An angry or disturbed porcupine will raise it's spines and even rattle them as a means of warning to a would be aggressor. Predators of the Indian crested porcupine include large cats, caracals, wolves, striped hyenas, Asian wild dogs, saltwater crocodiles and humans.
Indian crested porcupines are found throughout southwest and central Asia. Due to their flexible environmental tolerances, Indian crested porcupines occupy a broad range of habitats. They prefer rocky hillsides, but are also common in tropical and temperate shrublands, grasslands, forests, plantations, and gardens. Their range seems to be limited by seasonal densities of forage and the availability of suitable substrates for digging burrows. They do not occur above latitudes where minimum night duration is less than 7 hours, presumably because of the amount of foraging time required to find food. They consume a variety of natural and agricultural plant material, including roots, bulbs, fruits, grains, drupe and tubers, along with insects and small vertebrates.
The Indian crested porcupine's conservation status is LC (least concern).
Indian crested porcupine
Porcupines are amongst the largest of the rodents weighing between 24 to 40 lb. (11 to 18 kg) and measuring from nose to tail between 31 to 39 in. (78 to 100 cm). As with all members of this family their incisor teeth must be in regular use to keep them in trim and prevent them from over growing.
The most distinctive feature of this mammal is the converted body hair, most of which is seen as a protective covering of sharp ended spines. These may be raised or lowered at will, both for body protection and as a means of communication. An angry or disturbed porcupine will raise it's spines and even rattle them as a means of warning to a would be aggressor. Predators of the Indian crested porcupine include large cats, caracals, wolves, striped hyenas, Asian wild dogs, saltwater crocodiles and humans.
Indian crested porcupines are found throughout southwest and central Asia. Due to their flexible environmental tolerances, Indian crested porcupines occupy a broad range of habitats. They prefer rocky hillsides, but are also common in tropical and temperate shrublands, grasslands, forests, plantations, and gardens. Their range seems to be limited by seasonal densities of forage and the availability of suitable substrates for digging burrows. They do not occur above latitudes where minimum night duration is less than 7 hours, presumably because of the amount of foraging time required to find food. They consume a variety of natural and agricultural plant material, including roots, bulbs, fruits, grains, drupe and tubers, along with insects and small vertebrates.
The Indian crested porcupine's conservation status is LC (least concern).