The Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis)
Brazilian porcupine видео
The Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) is a porcupine found in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guiana, Peru, Paraguay, Suriname, Bolivia and Trinidad, with a single record from Ecuador. It inhabits tropical forests at elevations up to 1500 m.
Systematics, class, species, family
The Brazilian porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) is a mammal of the family Erethizontidae, Division Rodentia.
The species is distributed in tropical forests from Colombia and Venezuela in the south to northern Argentina. It lives in dry and humid primary and secondary forests at altitudes up to 1500 m above sea level, and is rarely seen in the cultural landscape.
Description
The body is covered with short, thick spines that are whitish or yellowish in colour, mixed with the darker hair, while the underside is grayish. The lips and nose are fleshy. The tail is prehensile, with the tip curling upward so as to get a better grip on tree branches. This porcupine can grow toty inches long (1 m), but half of that is tail. It weighs about nine pounds (4.1 kg). No spines are found on the tail, which is long (330-485 mm (13.0-19.1 in)). Its feet are reflective of its arboreal lifestyle, well-adapted for gripping branches, with four long-clawed toes on each.
Lifestyle and nutrition
Coendou prehensilis has an arboreal lifestyle, rarely descending to the ground for watering. Walks lightly but slowly on the ground. Active at night. During the day it sleeps at a height of 6-10 metres. Coendou prehensilis live in small groups. Their easy to fall needles serve as an effective means of defence against predators. Spanish naturalist Felix de Asara repeatedly found their spines in jaguar faeces. The captured animal curls up into a ball. It feeds on leaves, buds, fruits. Sometimes ravages plantations of guava, corn and bananas. Used by the local population for food. Life expectancy in captivity is up to 9 years.
Reproduction
As a rule the female gives birth to a single young in the spring. The newborn porcupine is covered with red hairs and small spines, which harden shortly after birth.
