The Life of Animals | Porcupine | A porcupine is one of 29 species of rodent belonging to the families Erethizontidae (genres Coendou, Sphiggurus, Erethizon, and Echinoprocta Chaetomys) or Hystricidae (genres Atherurus, Hystrix and Trichys). Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild Porcupine South America weighs less than a kilogram (2.2 pounds (1.00 kg)), Porcupine, Italy, Sicily, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa can achieve more than 27 kg (60 lbs). The eleven porcupine Old World tend to be quite large, and peaks that are grouped. Porcupines New World have evolved their spines independently (through convergent evolution) and are more closely related to several other families of rodent than they are porcupines of the Old World
Porcupine Old World (Hystricidae) have quills embedded in groups, whereas in New World porcupines (Erethizontidae), interspersed with hair feathers individually hairdryer. New feathers grow to replace those lost. Porcupines occupy a short distance from the habitat in tropical and temperate regions of Asia, Europe, South Africa, North America and South America. Porcupines live in forests, deserts, rocky outcrops and slopes. Some porcupines New World live in trees, but porcupines Old World remain on the rocks. Porcupines are found in rocky areas up to 3,700 m (12,100 ft) high. Porcupines are generally nocturnal, but sometimes active during the day.
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