PORCUPINES IN ASIA | Facts and Details

PORCUPINES

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine (left) Malayan porcupine (right)

Porcupines are large rodents with coats made up of rigid or semi-rigid quills (sharp spines) — modified hairs composed of keratin — that protect them against predators. There are two families: 1) the Old World porcupines (Hystricidae), and the New World porcupines (Erethizontidae). Both families belong to the infraorder Hystricognathi within the very diverse order Rodentia and display superficially similar quills but otherwise the two groups are not that closely related to each other. The largest species of porcupine is the third-largest living rodent in the world, after the capybara and beaver. [Source: Wikipedia]

The Old World porcupines live in Italy, western and southern Asia and most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. The New World porcupines are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They live in wooded areas and can climb trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They are less strictly nocturnal than their Old World counterparts and generally smaller.

Most porcupines are about 60 to 90 centimeters (25–36 inches) long, with a 20–25 centimeters (8–10 inch) long tail, and weigh 5 to 16 kilograms (12–35 pounds). They are rounded, large, and slow, and use an aposematic strategy of defense, which warns potential predators of the dangers they present. Porcupines are usually various shades of brown, grey and white in color. Their spiny protection resembles that of the distantly related erinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian monotreme echidnas as well as tenrecid tenrecs, which look like hedgehogs but ar not.

Porcupines are very sexually active. They mate every day whether the female is breeding or not. When they mate the females brings here spines close to her body so the male is not impaled. David Attenborough wrote: “They approach cautiously and begin to groom one another around the head where their hair, though course, is not spiny. This behavior continues as they circle one another and call. Then the male moves behind the female and parts the long backward-pointing quills on either side of her haunches. She erects the quills on her back and raises her tail. The male then stands on his hind legs and cautiously advances until the underside of her tail is supporting his belly — and intromission is successfully achieved...Interestingly enough, once having successfully negotiated the hazards of such congress, a pair seems only too happy to repeat it. Although the female only becomes fertile every 35 days or so. The male mounts evenings and actually copulates on most if not all occasions. Perhaps this consolidates their relationship with one another. If that is the case, then they are the only mammals to do so apart from some primates.” [Source: “The Life of Mammals” by David Attenborough]

Old World Porcupines

The Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) are found in Africa and Asia. The 11 species in three genera of this family tend to be fairly large and have spines grouped in clusters. Fossil hystricids are known from the Miocene Period (23 million to 5.3 million years ago). Phil Myers wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Like their New World equivalents, the North American porcupines, Old World porcupines are large, heavyset, slow-moving animals that rely on their imposing quills for defense rather than on speed or agility. The largest hystricids may exceed 25 kilograms in weight; others weigh a kilogram or two. Their heads are massive and broad. The ears are generally small, as are the eyes. The tail is very short in some species, but it reaches around half the head-body length in others. Both forelimbs and hindlimbs are short and heavily built. The forefeet have five digits, but the thumb is reduced in size. The hindfeet have five functional digits. The claws are short. Hystricids are plantigrade, that is, they place the full sole of the foot on the ground when they walk. [Source: Phil Myers, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

The fur of hystricids varies considerably species to species. All have spines of some sort, but their spines lack the barbules that characterize the spines of New World porcupines. In Trichys, for example, the spines are short, flattened, and not especially well developed. In Hystrix, in contrast, the spines develop into hollow quills that reach 20 centimeters in length. Each quill is conspicuously marked with black and white bands. These quills are densely arrayed over the rump and back. They rattle when shaken, serving as a warning to potential predators. If that doesn't work, the porcupine may attempt to charge backwards into the predator. As is the case with North American porcupines, the quills are loosely attached but can't be thrown or otherwise projected. They penetrate flesh readily, becoming stuck and detaching from the porcupine. Elsewhere on their bodies, hystricids have coarse, flat bristles. In some, these form an erectable crest on their necks and the tops of their head. /=\

Hystricids have long skulls that are in some species inflated with air chambers over the rostrum (hard, beak-like structures projecting out from the head or mouth) and top of the head. They are hystricomorphous, with a huge infraorbital (below the eye sockets) foramen. No accessory groove or foramen is present for nerves passing to the rostrum (hard, beak-like structures projecting out from the head or mouth). The zygomatic arches are robust, but the jugal does not reach the lacrimal. Auditory bullae are small and paroccipital processes are short. The lower jaws are hystricognathous. /=\

Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) range:

These animals are terrestrial, not climbing trees in the manner of North American porcupines. They are excellent diggers, constructing their own burrows or appropriating and modifying those of other animals. Their diets include many kinds of plant material, but also carrion. Gnawed bones often litter the ground around their dens; these may be chewed for their calcium. /=\ The dental formula of hystricids is 1/1, 0/0, 1/1, 3/3 = 20. The molars of hystricids are flat-crowned and vary from brachydont to hypsodont. The occlusal surfaces of the upper molars have three labial folds and one lingual fold; the folds are reversed on the lower molars. Toothwear causes the folds to appear as islands on the surface of the teeth. /=\

The three African porcupine species are:
African brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus)
African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata)
Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis)

Describing the defenses of a large African species, David Attenborough wrote: “If anything interferes with it — whether a predator or merely inquisitive human being — it will issue a series of warnings. If it feels threatened it erects its quills into a huge halo that doubles its apparent size and makes it look very fearsome indeed. Then it shakes a group of specialized hollow quills in the end of its tail, which makes an ominous rattling noise. Finally, as an indication that it is getting very angry, it stamps its hind feet, If all this is not enough to deter a stranger, then the porcupine will suddenly spin around and rush backwards with such speed that its attackers may be seriously stabbed. Same of its quills are only loosely attached and may stay in the wounds they make. It is not uncommon to see young lions with porcupine quills in their muzzles. They are unlikely to attack the porcupine again. [Source: “The Life of Mammals” by David Attenborough]

Asian Porcupines

There are eight species of porcupine living across Asia. Some Asian porcupine feed on carrion but is not common. Many porcupines forage for bones, which they carry back to their den ro gnaw on to wear down and sharpen their teeth, but also to obtain minerals like calcium and phosphate that may be lacking in their diets. Piles of gnawed bones often litter the entrances to dens. /=\

Many Asian porcupines are moderately vocal, producing grunts and calls as they move around at night. When encountering potential mates some Asian pangolin do a "dance" on their hind legs while humming and grunting together. They may put their paws on each others' shoulders and rub noses. Among many species of Old World porcupines, males urinate on females during courtship. /=\

The porcupines found in Asia are superficially similar to porcupines found in North America. Weighing up to 18 kilograms, they have a crest of long wiry bristles on their head and quills that cover their body and tail. The quills can be erected when threatened and they can cause painful, festering wounds. Widely distributed but rarely seen, these nocturnal animal feeds on bulbs, fruit and roots and occasionally raid crops. They strip bark and twigs off trees. Females give birth to two young.

Sunda porcupine

The eight Asian porcupine species are:
Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus macrourus)
Indian porcupine (Hystrix indicus)
Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura)
Himalayan porcupine (Hystrix (brachyura) hodgsoni)
(Himalayan porcupines are usually considered subspecies of Malayan porcupines)
Sunda porcupine (Hystrix javanica)
Sumatran porcupine (Hystrix (Thecurus) sumatrae)
Thick-spined porcupine (Hystrix (Thecurus) crassispinis)
Philippine porcupine (Hystrix (Thecurus) pumilis)
Long-tailed porcupine (Trichys fasciculata)

Indian Crested Porcupines

Indian crested porcupines(Hystrix indica) are also known as Indian porcupines. They are found throughout southeast and central Asia and in parts of the Middle East, in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Israel, Iran and Saudia Arabia. Indian crested porcupines are highly adaptable creatures. They are usually found in rocky hill sides, but can also also be found in tropical and temperate scrublands, forests, savannas, grasslands, and mountains. The are also found throughout the Himalayan region up to elevations of 2400 meters (7874 feet). [Source: Kurt Schlimme, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Indian crested porcupines are not endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies them as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. They are hunted for food and regarded as a crop pest but are fairly common throughout their range and can adapt to a wide range of habitats and food types. Their main natural predators are large cats, namely tigers and leopards. Their average lifespan in captivity is 27.1 years.

Indian crested porcupines are primarily herbivores (eat plants or plants parts) and are recognized as lignivores (eat wood). Among the plant foods they eat sap, roots, tubers, fruits, grains, and agricultural crops. They chew on bones to keep their sharp and from growing to obtain minerals such as calcium, which help their spines grow. Indian crested porcupines are usually monogamous, with both parents being found in the burrow with their offspring. Their average gestation period is 240 days, The size of the liters varies from two two to four. Young are born with their eyes open. Their body is covered by short soft quills.

Indian Crested Porcupine Characteristics and Behavior

Indian crested porcupines

Indian crested porcupine range in weight from 11 to 18 kilograms (24.2 to 39.65 pounds) and have a head and body length of 70 to 90 centimeters (27.5 to 35.4 inches). with a tail of 8 to 10 centimeters (20 to 25 inches). They have multiple layers of quills. Beneath the longer, thinner one are shorter and thicker ones. Each quill is brown or black in color, with alternating bands of white. They vary in length, with the neck and shoulder quills being the longest, measuring 15 to 30 centimeters (5.9 to 11.8 inches. The tail is covered with shorter, white quills. Among these, are longer, hollow, rattling quills that are used to warn potential predators. The feet and hands are broad, with long claws that are used for burrowing. [Source: Kurt Schlimme, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Indian crested porcupines are nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), solitary and social (associates with others of its species; forms social groups). They sense using touch and chemicals usually detected with smell and make their dens in caves, between rocks, or burrows, where spend much of the day. Burrows are usually made by the porcupines themselves, with a long entrance tunnel, multiple exits and entrances, and a large inner chamber. Gnawed bones and excavated dirt are often found outside the entrances. /=\

When agitated or alarmed, Indian crested porcupines raise their quills and rattle the hollow spines on their tail. If the threat continues, these porcupines launch a backward attack and attacks the trheat with their rear end, action impaling their attacker with their quills. The greatest damage is done by the short quills that are hidden beneath the longer ones. Quite these quills become dislodged from the porcupine and remain in the victim, sometimes causing lethal infections.

Malayan Porcupines

Malayan porcupines (Hystrix brachyura) are one of the largest porcupine species in Asia. Also known as East Asian porcupine and Himalayan porcupines, they live in forests and mountains and are highly adaptable, eating bugs as well vegetation and are often seen in agricultural areas. They are found in Nepal, northeast India, Bangladesh, central and southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Borneo at elevations from sea level to at least 1,300 meters. (4,265 feet). [Source: Wikipedia]

Malayan porcupines are not endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies them as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. Porcupines are also for meat and traditional medicines. The quills of the Malayan porcupine are used for ornamental purposes.

Malayan porcupines are large and stout-bodied rodents Their head and body length is 56 to 74 centimeters (22 and 29 inches), with a tail of about 6 to 11 centimeters (2.4 to 4.3 inches). They weigh around 10 to 18 kilograms (22 to 40 pounds). Their quills are sharp and rigid. Those on their upper body parts are rough with black with white or yellow stripes. Young have soft quills which become hard as they enter adulthood. They have short, stocky legs covered in brown hairs which have four claws on the front and five on the hind legs. Both front and hind legs have smooth soles.

Malayan porcupines forage at night and rest during the day. They may be found singly or in pairs and sometimes in small groups. They can swim and often gnaw and normally feed on roots, tubers, bark, fallen fruits and large tropical seeds such as belonging to Chisocheton cumingianus.. They also eat carrion and insects.

Malayan porcupines have a gestation period of 90 to 112 days. Umay give birth to two litters annually. Females usually give birth to a single; sometimes two. pup at a time, but delivering two pups has also been recorded. The gestation period is about 90 to 112 days. Their lifespan is up to 27 years.

Sumatran Porcupines

Indian crested porcupine

Sumatran porcupines (Hystrix sumatrae) are found exclusively on Sumatra, one of the main islands of Indonesia. They live in the tropical rainforests there and terrestrial animals and prefer rugged, rocky areas, making their dens in small caves, under fallen trees and stumps, between rocks, and in small burrows. Sumatran porcupines do not spend so much time in trees like North American porcupines but they can adapt to a wide variety of habitats, including agricultural areas and cleared land. [Source: Annie Farner, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Sumatran porcupines were first described under the name Thecurus sumatrae by Lyon in 1907. Later they were added to the genus Hystrix (Linneaus 1758). Today you kind find information on these animals under both Thecurus sumatrae and Hystrix sumatrae. It has been suggested that they were same species as thick-spined porcupines, a very similar species found on Borneo. but now the two are regarded as distinct based on body size and quill diameter. Sumatran porcupines are smaller in size and has much thinner quills than thick-spined porcupines. /=\

There are no records on the lifespan of of Sumatran porcupine in the wild. There is one report of a single individual in captivity that was alive after 13.3 years. Related species have life spans in the wild ranging from 12 to 20 years, and have been reported to live up to 27 years in captivity (Hystrix brachyura); however, nine to 15 year life spans are much more common.

Long-Tailed Porcupines

Long-tailed porcupines (Trichys fasciculata) are the smallest species of Asian and Old World Porcupine, with some likening them to spiny rats. Native to Sumatra, Borneo and Malaysia, they are found a variety of tropical habitats, including broadleaf forests, rain forests, peat swamp forests, freshwater swamp forests, lowland rain forests, montane rain forests, heath forests, montane alpine meadows, shrublands, subtropical coniferous forests, mangrove forests, savannas, grasslands, wetlands and swamps at elevations from sea level to 1159 meters (3802 feet). They spend most of their time on the ground and make their dens in in burrows, caves, and fissures in or around fallen trees, but occasionally climb trees and shrubs in search of food. A captive individual lived more than 10 years, but no information is available. On how long they live in the wild. [Source: Ariane Reister, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Long-tailed porcupines are primarily herbivores (eat plants or plants parts) but are also recognized as folivores (eat mainly leaves) and lignivores (eat wood). Animal foods include insects and terrestrial non-insect arthropods. Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, wood, bark, stems, seeds, grains, nuts, fruit,bamboo shoots, the cambium layer of trees, and agricultural crops. They usually forage on the ground but will climb trees and shrubs in search of food. /=\

Long-tailed porcupines are not endangered. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies them as a species of “Least Concern”. They are sometimes eaten as food by humans and some native people believe that their tails have value and remove them from the rest of the porcupine hide. They are regarded as crop pests and are particularly fond of pineapple and their eating the cambium layer of trees can cause trees to die.

Philippine Porcupines

Philippine porcupine

Philippine porcupines (Hystrix pumila) are found on the Philippine islands of Busuanga, Palawan, and Balabac. They live in lowlands, primary forests, secondary forests, grasslands, agricultural areas, rugged areas, abandoned and active plantation. Sometimes Philippine porcupines line their dens with plant material; sometimes they make their dens in caves and old mine shafts. Burrows may hold up to ten individuals. They have been found at elevations from sea level to 3500 meters (to 11483 feet) and live nine to 15 years in the wild. [Source: Casey Spinler, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Philippine porcupines are primarily herbivores (eat plants or plants parts) but they occasionally eat meat and are also considered folivores (eat mainly leaves) and lignivores (eat wood). Animal foods include mammals, amphibians, carrion and insects. Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, roots, tubers, wood, bark, stems, seeds, grains, nuts fruit, coconuts, bulbs, bulbs and berries. They gnaw on bones for calcium and gnaw on branches, tree bark, and tree trunks to wear down their ever growing incisors.

Philippine porcupines populations are considered stable. On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List they are listed as Vulnerable. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. Philippine porcupines are hunted for their meat. There are sometimes collected for ornaments and talismans. They are viewed as crop pest at coconut plantations and in other agriculture areas as they gnaw on trees and leaves.

Philippine Porcupines Characteristics, Behavior and Reproduction

Philippine porcupines range in weight from 3.8 to 5.4 kilograms (8.4 to 11.9 pounds) and have a head ana body length that ranges from 42 to 93 centimeters (16.5 to 36.61 inches). Their tail is 2.5 to 19 centimeters (one to 7.5 inches) long. Philippine porcupines have short nasal bones, an enlarged infraorbital foramen below the eye sockets, and a lower jaw characteristic of Old World porcupines. According to Animal Diversity Web: They have a stocky build, small eyes, small ears, and has a short rounded head with no head or neck mane. The dorsal coloring is dark brown to black with light speckles, the underside is brown to gray-white. The quills are flattened, with longer rigidity near the tip. Tail quills have shorter open-ended quills that rattle loudly. The hair is bristle-like. The forefeet have four well developed digits while the hind feet have five digits. Philippine porcupines have short claws and the soles of the feet are smooth and naked. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Males are larger than females. [Source: Casey Spinler, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

range of the Philippine porcupine

Philippine porcupines are terricolous (live on the ground), nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary) and sedentary (remain in the same area). They are solitary, except when mating or caring for young. They sense and communicate with vision, touch, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. Philippine porcupines have poor eyesight but have a keen sense of smell, which they use to locate food. They move up to 16 kilometers at night in their search for food and make their dens in rock crevices and under tree buttresses. Philippine porcupines walk heavily on the soles of their feet and run with a shuffling gait. If they feel threatened, they raise their quills. If the threat continues they stamp their feet, move their quills, and charge backward at the threat.

Philippine porcupines are monogamous (have one mate at a time). They engage in seasonal breeding and breed once a year from from March to December. The number of offspring ranges from one to two, with the average number of offspring being one. The gestation period ranges from 93 to 105 days. Young are precocial. This means they are relatively well-developed when born. During the pre-weaning stage provisioning and protecting are done by females. Pre-independence protection is provided by females. Males are generally not involved in caring for young. Young begin to eat solids at two weeks old. The age in which they are weaned ranges from three to four months and the average time to independence is two months. Females and males reach sexual or reproductive maturity at nine to 18 months. In their lifetime, Philippine porcupines an have from six to 12 young.

Male Philippine porcupines urinate on females and use vocalizations such as hums, whines, and grunts to attract females for mating. When a pair matches up the male and female dance on their hind legs and whine and hum together. They sniff each other and put their paws on each other’s shoulder and sometimes rub noses. The female then Philippine porcupines then raises her rear and tail while her chest is on the ground. The male then proceeds to mount the female by clasping her sides with its front paws and balancing on its hind feet.

Asiatic Brush-Tailed Porcupines

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines (Atherurus macrourus) are relatively small and live throughout Southeast Asia and regions nearby. They are found in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, eastern Assam in India), south central China (Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangxi provinces), Sumatra, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Vietnam, and several Southeast Asian islands. Their lifespan in the wild is typically 15 years. Their lifespan in captivity is as high as 20 years. [Source: Ginn Choe, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Drawing from 1834: North American porcupine (top); Brazilian porcupine )middle); 3) Asian brush-tailed porcupine (bottom)

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines live in tropical areas in rainforests, scrub forests, agricultural areas, plantations, river forests, forest islands, primary and secondary forests. caves, riparian environments (wetlands adjacent to rivers) and mountainous areas at elevations up to 3000 meters (9843 feet). They are active at night and rest during the day in burrows, crevices, under and in fallen trees, in holes among tree roots, caves, or cavities along stream banks. Rainforest burrows are dug in soft soils and and are often found near water. Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines do not cushion their dens with plant materials as many other porcupines do. Rock dens are often quite sophisticated, with three entries spaced two meters apart, feeding into tunnels that are 3.5 meters long.

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines forage during the night and are primarily herbivores (eat plants or plants parts) but occasionally eat mean and are recognized as folivores (eat leaves) and lignivores (eat wood). Animal foods include carrion and insects. Among the plant foods they eat are leaves, roots, tubers, wood, bark, stems, seeds, grains, nuts, fruit, flowers, bulbs and cultivated crops.

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines are not endangered or threatened. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List classifies them as a species of “Least Concern”. In CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild) they have no special status. They are sometimes hunted for their meat and are regarded as a crop pest. They have been recorded eating casava, sweet potatoes, bananas, peanuts, maize, pineapple, mango, and sugarcane. Their habit of eating the a ring of cambium layer around the base of trees results in the death of trees when their vascular tissue is destroyed. Atherurus africanus is known to be a carrier of the malaria parasite, Plasmodium atheruri. Natural predator include leopards, tigers, large owls, dholes, other cats, clouded leopards, golden jackals and domestic dogs. Their impact on ecosystems includes seed dispersal, habitat creation, soil aeration

Asiatic Brush-Tailed Porcupine Characteristics and Communication

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines are rat-like and quite slender. Their long tail has a tuft of brush-like quills at the end — hence their name. Like the quills on its body the tail is used for protection. These porcupine range in weight from one to 4.3 kilograms (2.2 to 9.5 pounds). Their head and body length ranges from 36.5 to 60 centimeters (14.37 to 23.62 inches). Spines can be about 10 centimeters (10 inches) long. Sexual Dimorphism (differences between males and females) is present: Sexes are alike but ornamentation is different. [Source: Ginn Choe, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

According to Animal Diversity Web: Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines have an almost entirely spiny body, though quills are soft on the under parts, head, and legs. Fur coloration on the upper back is black-brown to grey-brown. These animals possess short and stout limbs, with short, rounded ears. Eyes and ears are quite small. Individual hairs have whitish tips. The underside (ventral side) fur coloration is dirty white to light brown.

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines are agile and can run, climb, and swim well. Their fore- and hind-feet are five toed, partially webbed and possess blunt, straight claws. However, the large toe is reduced. The soles are naked and are fitted with pads. The skull lacks or has a very weak postorbital process. Their roundish spines are flattened and stiletto-like, with fluted grooves on the upper surface. On the lower back, round and thicker bristles are interspersed between the spines resulting in a distinct terminal tuft. The tuft is whitish to creamy buff in color. Each bristle is thick and scaly and contains a chain of flattened disks that rattles when shaken. This serves as a warning to deter predators. On the upper back, flexible spines are between the fluted spikes, and the longest spines are located on the mid-upper side region. Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines rattle the small cups at the end of their tails, which discourages their predators.

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines sense using vision, touch, sound, vibrations and chemicals usually detcted with smell. They communicate with vision, sound and chemicals usually detected by smelling. They also employ pheromones (chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species) scent marks (produced by special glands and placed so others can smell or taste them) and vibrations. The nasal bones are less pronounced in Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines than in other porcupines. Enlarged nasal cavity may allow the animals to have a heightened sense of smell, or it may serve to help retrieving moisture from the air.

Asiatic Brush-Tailed Porcupine Behavior and Reproduction

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines are terricolous (live on the ground), fossorial (engaged in a burrowing life-style or behavior, and good at digging or burrowing), nocturnal (active at night), motile (move around as opposed to being stationary), sedentary (remain in the same area), social Their average territory size is 15 square kilometers. They range widely in search of food, travelling of up to 15 kilometers (9 miles) per night, depending on food availability. Family clans can have widely overlapping territories, refuges, extrement depositories, feeding places, runs and trails. They can have tunnels about 3.5 meters (11 feet) long. [Source:Ginn Choe, Animal Diversity Web (ADW) /=]

Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines are monogamous (have one mate at a time).They engage in seasonal breeding and year-round breeding. Females give birth to one to two litters per year. Breeding occurs throughout the year in regions with more favorable climates, and during the most favorable season in more temperate regions. The gestation period ranges from 100 to 110 days. The number of offspring ranges from one to two, with the average number of offspring being 1.25. Young are precocial. This means they are relatively well-developed when born. /=\ During the pre-weaning and pre-independence stages provisioning and protecting are done by males and females. The average weaning age is two months and the age in which they become independent ranging from one to two years. On average amles and females reach sexual or reproductive maturity at two years./=\

Ginn Choe wrote in Animal Diversity Web: Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines live in family clans of up to four to eight members, who share common runs, trails, excrement depositories, feeding places, refuges, and territories. Dwellings are, as a rule, not inhabited by one animal, but rather by a group. Typical groups consist of an adult couple and a varying number of young and growing animals. Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines provide extensive care of the young. These animals forage nocturnally and alone, but shelter in groups during the day. Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines individuals are extremely cautious and quiet after they have left their dens, and seem nervous when foraging for food. Porcupines move quickly and can also climb. If these animals are disturbed or pursued, they can run fast enough to get away from humans. Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines settle in any area with sufficient food and natural refuges, or where they can build their own dens. These animals are highly adaptive and can find homes in many different habitats. If food supplies become sparse permanently, these animals leave.

The spines on the backs of females can make mating problematic for male brush-tailed porcupines. Females can be aggressive and rapidly move backward into a male (backward attack). African brush-tailed porcupine females are not aggressive toward males they are familiar with, but are very aggressive when meeting unfamiliar males. Therefore, a complicated ritual of appeasement performed by males. In other Asian porcupines, the female puts her tail up and the male stands on his hind legs, supporting himself with his hands on the back of the female during mating. /=\

Females have two pairs of lateral thoracic mammae, and give birth in maternity chambers cushioned with grass or fallen leaves. Newborns are very active and agile within hours after they are born. They are highly developed nidifugous animals, (leaving the nest shortly after birth), with eyes open soon after birth. Because they are very small in size, (3 percent of the mother's body weight) they have to be nursed for a long time. /=\

Wild Southeast Asian Porcupines Threatened by Illegal Hunting

In August 2010, Science Daily reported: “Research from the University of East Anglia, published in Biological Conservation, has shown that the consumption of the Southeast Asian porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) as a speciality food is having a devastating effect on wild populations. Overhunting has been cited as the porcupine's greatest threat, and the 1990s saw a reported population decline of at least 20 per cent. While commercial farming of porcupines has become more popular, and is actively encouraged by Southeast Asian governments, illegal hunting still goes on. [Source: Science Daily, August 26, 2010 \^/]

Led by Emma Brooks, a team of researchers carried out an evidence-based case study to quantify the impact of commercial farming on the local wild population in Son La province in northwest Vietnam. They found that commercial porcupine farming is driving hunting, and is thought to be, at least in part, responsible for the decline of wild porcupines in the region. Under current management, farming could potentially destroy local, even relatively common and fast-breeding species like porcupines. They interviewed 67 porcupine farmers as well as restaurant owners in the region, which lies within the Hoang Lien Mountains. They found that the farming industry was booming, with half having set up their farm in the last three years (2005-2008). During this time the cost of juvenile founder stock doubled. And due to the high prices paid for meat, the sale of just two pairs far exceeds Vietnam's gross national income (US$890). \^/

“But the high price of farmed porcupines has encouraged hunting of wild populations — with wild meat being sold to restaurants at around half the price of farmed animals. Only half of the farmers interviewed were registered. Further admissions included illegally using wild porcupines as founder stock, laundering wild animals to sell across the country, capturing wild porcupines and registering them as births, and replacing sick and injured animals with those from the wild. Lead author Emma Brooks said: "Four farms which were willing to talk openly, reported trading almost 1000 wild porcupines each year, predominantly to other farms as founder stock. With the increase in demand for founder stock, the incentives to continue the illegal trade are considerable." \^/

“Because the research comes from anecdotal evidence, it is feared these reports of illegally procuring and trading wild animals could be just the tip of the ice berg. "We suspected at least two further farms of laundering animals, but because it is illegal, it is more likely that farm owners would hide this information. Figures reported should be considered a conservative estimate of the true scale of the illegal trade of porcupines through farms. “ Brooks said. "There is opportunity for illegal traders to make extra profit from wild sales with continued demand and favor for the wild porcupines from restaurant owners due to lower price and consumers preference.” \^/

Brooks added: "Wild meat in Vietnam supplies a luxury urban market and as such commands a high value. It is likely that these species will continue to be hunted from the wild as long as populations do not diminish so much as to become unprofitable to the hunters. However well the farms are managed, as long as there is consumer demand for porcupine products, without serious disincentives for hunters, hunting of the wild populations will continue. Monitoring and enforcement of these farms and the restaurants is inadequate and needs to be addressed to ensure the protection of wild porcupine populations. While commercial farming of the porcupine is having a detrimental effect, it is still quite a common species. It would be very valuable to research the implications for more threatened species that are also commercially farmed." The study was carried out by Emma Brooks and Dr Diana Bell, from the Center for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation at the University of East Anglia, with Scott Roberton of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Vietnam. \^/

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org ; National Geographic, Live Science, Natural History magazine, David Attenborough books, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Discover magazine, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Wikipedia, The Guardian, Top Secret Animal Attack Files website and various books and other publications.

Last updated January 2025