African crested porcupines, hystrix crisata, are the largest rodents in Africa. They measure 28 to 30 inches (71 to 76 centimeters) with a 5 inch (12 centimeter) tail. They are pretty heavy creatures as well, weighing in at anywhere from 44 to 60 pounds (20 to 27 kilograms). They have small eyes and ears as well as short, sturdy legs. Each of their feet has 5 toes, with powerful claws on each one. The most noticeable feature of the African crested porcupine (or any other porcupine for that matter) is of course, its quills. The length of these quills varies depending on what region of the body they are on.
African crested porcupines can be found in Morocco, Sudan, Egypt, and South Africa among others. They are quite adaptable and can survive in just about any environment except dense rainforests and extremely barren deserts. African crested porcupines are nocturnal animals, sleeping by day and hunting when night arrives. They have whiskers on feet and face which helps them to feel their way along the ground in the darkness of night. During the day, they rest in places like rock cavities, river thickets, under boulders or burrows that either they themselves excavate, or one that has been abandoned by another creature.
Being herbivores, the diet of African crested porcupines consists of things like berries, roots, stems, fruits, leaves, bark, bones and blossoms. They are constantly eating in order to keep their continuously-growing teeth from growing out of control. Creatures that African crested porcupines must look out for include lions, leopards, large owls and pythons. Despite the popular belief, porcupines do not shoot out their quills to defend themselves. Whenever they feel threatened or agitated, they will raise their quills and either move backwards or sideways into the threat. If being pursued, African crested porcupines will sometimes just stop moving, causing their pursuer to run into the quills themselves. Some of the quills will break off of the porcupine and lodge themselves into the predator, which can cause infections and even lead to starvation as some creatures cannot eat depending on where the quills are stuck on them.
Breeding season for African crested porcupines takes place from early summer to December depending on the area. After a gestation period of around 122 days, females will give birth to 1 to 4 little ones. They are nursed for up to 2 months even though they will eat solid food at about 2 weeks of age. If the young ones can survive long enough, they can live to be 15 to 20 years old.
African crested porcupines are not listed as endangered, although they have been exterminated in parts of their range. Some are hunted for their quills, which are used for charms and such. Hopefully, African crested porcupines will never need to face the threat of extinction anytime soon as they help the ecosystem by spreading seeds to sprout. Such a unique and interesting rodent deserves to live and prosper for future generations to see.
