A porcupine is any of 30 species of rodents belonging to the families Erethizontidae (genera: Coendou, Erethizon, and Chaetomys) or Hystricidae (genera: Atherurus, Hystrix, and Trichys). Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram (2.2 lb); the crested porcupine found in Italy ...

Feb 5, 2025 · Porcupine, any of several species of large, herbivorous, quill-bearing rodents active from early evening to dawn. All have short stocky legs, but their tails range from short to long, some being prehensile.

The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large quill-covered rodent in the New World porcupine family. It is the second largest rodent in North America after the North American beaver (Castor canadensis).

Porcupines are rodents with an interesting way to protect themselves from predators. They wear a coat of sharp quills all over their body. There are two different families of porcupines. There is hystricidae, or Old World Porcupines, and Erethizontidae, the New World Porcupines. Both families have distinct locations.

Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) are the third largest members of the rodent family that are covered with spines or quills. The name ‘porcupine’ comes from Middle French ‘porc d’épine’ meaning ‘thorny pig’. There are, in total, 27 species of porcupine belonging to the families, Erethizontidae or Hystricidae.

Nov 5, 2024 · ∙ Basics: The American porcupine is a large rodent with sharp quills. Their fur is brownish-yellow to black. Their quills are usually white or yellow. ∙ Stats: The average weight of an adult porcupine is 20-25 pounds. The average length of an adult porcupine is 2-3 feet long.

The porcupine is the prickliest of rodents, though its Latin name means “quill pig.” There are more than two dozen porcupine species, and all boast a coat of needle-like quills to give predators...

Porcupines are lumbering, rotund rodents with needle-like spikes, called quills, covering their back, sides, and tail. A single porcupine can have more than 30,000 quills, which are...

Porcupines are members of the rodent family that are covered in sharp, defensive spines. There are two main types of porcupines classified in two different families. Old World porcupines are in the taxonomical family Hystricidae. New World porcupines are in the taxonomical family Erethizontidae. Read on to learn about the porcupine.

Jan 6, 2021 · A porcupine is a large rodent with a distinctive coat of protective quills. There are 30 species of porcupine divided between two families: Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) and Erethizontidae (New World porcupines). The two porcupine families are not closely related.