The African brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) is a species of rat-like Old World porcupine, indigenous to a broad belt of Africa ranging from Guinea on the west coast to Kenya on the east.
Distribution of the African brush-tailed porcupine
Atherurus africanus is found in tropical rainforests, preferring to settle near rivers at altitudes up to 3,000 meters above sea level.
Physical Characteristics
The brush-tailed porcupine reaches 40 to 50 cm in length, not counting the tail. Their body length ranges from 37 to 60 cm and tail length from 10 to 26 cm. The adult weighs about 3 kg.
With their elongated body, 35 to 60 cm long, ending in a long tail with a tassel at the end, these rodents somewhat resemble large rats, weighing about three kilograms. They have swimming webbing between their toes, and the toes themselves are armed with 5 sharp, strong claws.
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Colouration varies from black to dark brown on the back and white to light beige on the belly. Small eyes are located on the sides of the head. The ears are small and rounded. Atherurus africanus has 20 teeth in its mouth, among them the incisors, which are very strong and covered with yellow enamel, stand out.
Unlike most other porcupines, the brush-tailed porcupine has light, small quills. The softest needles are on the head, neck and around the abdomen. The hard, flattened, stylite-shaped needles are located on the sides. In the centre of the back are movable flexible needles that can become puffed. Several long and hard needles grow on the back of the body and the hind legs. The tail ends in a fluffy, scaly tassel. On the tail, these quills are thinner and brush-like.
Habitat and Lifestyle
Brush-tailed porcupines live in forests, usually at high elevations, and are nocturnal, sleeping in caves and burrows during the day. Atherurus africanus leads a nocturnal lifestyle.
Porcupines use small caves, rock crevices, and trunks of fallen trees as shelter. They are not afraid of cramped quarters, so each burrow can house eight close relatives side by side. With families living nearby, African porcupines try to maintain good neighbourly relations and even share food.
Their five-toed paws are equipped with webbing and sharp claws, so despite their terrestrial lifestyle, Atherurus africanus are excellent swimmers and climb trees. They go in search of food alone.
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Diet
They are herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits which have fallen to the forest floor. Their diet consists almost entirely of leaves, roots and tubers of various plants, bulbs, tree bark, cones and fruits.
Sometimes Atherurus africanus eats carrion, bones of birds and mammals to replenish their organism with microelements. This phenomenon is common in regions where the usual food is low in phosphorus and calcium. It is not uncommon for porcupines to visit farmers' plantations and eat crops, so they have a reputation for being vicious pests of farmland. Africans set traps on them.
Social Behavior and Reproduction
Brush-tailed porcupines live in small family groups of about eight members. Different family groups can share resources. Atherurus africanus form monogamous family groups consisting of parents and their offspring of different ages. Usually the family settles in burrows abandoned by other animals (most often trumpet dens), in which they create up to 6 separate exits. Atherurus africanus are engaged in independent digging of shelter only in exceptional cases.
Boundaries of the home range are marked with odour markers by representatives of both sexes, but males devote much more time to this process than females. From 8 to 25 animals can coexist on one square kilometre. The size of the home range depends on the forage base and time of year.
Male and female form a pair bond during breeding season. Family pairs are formed just before mating. At other times young females are very aggressive towards males. There is no definite mating period, and these rodents breed all year round.
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The female has a long pregnancy compared to other rodents: 110 days at the longest. A female bears two cubs once or twice a year. Pregnancy lasts from 100 to 110 days. The cubs are born fully developed.
Their eyes are open, they have teeth, and their bodies are covered with fur but lack needles. Despite the long pregnancy, the cubs are very small. Their body length does not exceed 2-3 cm, so for the first two months of their life they are under the constant supervision of their mother. Nevertheless, the ability to stab the enemy with needles appears in 2-3 weeks after birth. Young fish reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 years.
The young are born well-developed or precocial. They are mature at about 2 years of age. Female African brush-tailed porcupines usually only have one litter each year.
African brush-tailed porcupine
Defense Mechanisms
Atherurus africanus defends itself from its natural enemies - predators, snakes and owls - in a well-tested way. When attacked by a predator, the porcupine raises its quills so it looks twice its size, rattles its tail quills, and stomps its feet.
Usually African brush-tailed porcupines are safe from other animals because of their long, sharp quills. Predators will only attack a porcupine when there is no other food source available. When an African brush-tailed porcupine is fighting with another animal it will run backwards into its attacker, poking it with its quills.
The quills easily come off the porcupine and stick into the predator. Even if the porcupine dies in the fight, the predator may later die from the wound from the porcupine's quill.
Threats
African brush-tailed porcupines are sometimes preyed upon by lions, leopards, and hyenas. Predators will only attack porcupines when there is no other food available. African brush-tailed porcupines are a major source of bushmeat.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Bathyergidae
- Genus: Atherurus
- Species: Africanus
Key Facts About the African Brush-Tailed Porcupine
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Atherurus africanus |
| Type | Mammal |
| Diet | Herbivorous |
| Average Length | 40-50 cm |
| Average Weight | 3 kg |
| Habitat | Tropical rainforests in Africa |
| Gestation Period | Approximately 110 days |
