Indian Crested Porcupine
Hystrix indica
Night life
Indian crested porcupines cannot see very well, so instead use their highly developed hearing and sense of smell to get around. Since they are predominantly nocturnal, this is generally not a problem. During the day they hide in dens that they have dug themselves or taken over from other animals.
Charakteristics
- Origin
Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia as far as India, Nepal and China
- Habitat
temperate forests, tropical forests and savannahs
- Diet
Roots, tubers, bark, fruits
- Status
least concern
- Size
75 cm
- Weight
10–20 kg
- Gestation period
112 days
- Achievable age
approx. 20 years
Threat Categories of IUCN
Dangerous when rattled
Porcupines have two different types of quills: long ones that they raise when danger threatens in order to appear larger, and small, hollow quills on their rumps that they rattle to frighten off potential predators.
