Crested Porcupine, the North African crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata, is a species of rodents belonging to the old world porcupine, Hystricidae family that is distinguished by their spiny covering. Hystricidae or old world porcupines don’t have barbs found on the quills of New world porcupines, but they can still get stuck in the flesh of a potential predator. They do not climb trees too. With a body length of 63-93 cm and an average weight of 20 kg, this species of porcupine is the world’s largest. In Nigeria, they are found in the woodland savannah and forest formations where they are called Òòrè by the Yoruba
The North African crested porcupine is an herbivore that eats bark, roots, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs, fallen fruits and cultivated crops. It searches alone and will travel long separations in pursuit of nourishment – up to 15 kilometers every night. Small family groups, consisting of an adult pair and various infants and juveniles, share an elaborate burrow system. The burrows are extensive and can even accommodate mating activity. Gestation takes 66 days, and the young may live for up to 28 years.
