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{{About|the mammal}}
{{short description|Rodent with a coat of sharp spines}}
{{Paraphyletic group
| name = Porcupine
| image = File:Porcupine (5670622729).jpg
| image_alt = North American porcupine
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}}
'''Porcupines''' are large [[rodent]]s with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against [[predation]]. The term covers two [[Family (biology)|families]] of animals: the [[Old World porcupine]]s of the family '''Hystricidae''', and the [[New World porcupine]]s of the family '''Erethizontidae'''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Roze |first1=Uldis |title=Porcupines: The Animal Answer Guide |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LtOhh7ILpT0C&dq=porcupine+Hystricidae+families&pg=PA1 |date=2012 |location=Baltimore, Maryland, USA |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |page=1 |isbn=978-1-4214-0735-7 }}</ref><ref name="NG"/>
The Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) live in [[Italy]], [[Asia]] (western<ref>[http://biblehub.com/topical/p/porcupine.htm Porcupine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150225042851/http://biblehub.com/topical/p/porcupine.htm |date=2015-02-25 }}. biblehub.com</ref> and southern), and most of [[Africa]]. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal.
The New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) 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 {{convert|25|-|36|in|cm|-1|abbr=on|order=flip}} long, with a {{convert|8|-|10|in|cm|adj=on|abbr=on|order=flip}} long tail. Weighing {{convert|12|-|35|lb|0|abbr=on|order=flip}}, they are rounded, large, and slow, and use an [[Aposematism|aposematic]] strategy of defence. Porcupines' colouration consists of various shades of brown, grey and white. Porcupines' spiny protection resembles that of the only distantly related [[Erinaceomorpha|erinaceomorph]] [[hedgehog]]s and Australian [[monotreme]] [[echidna]]s as well as [[
==Etymology==
The word "porcupine" comes from the [[Latin]] ''porcus'' pig + ''spina'' spine, quill, via
A baby porcupine is a porcupette. When born, a porcupette's quills are soft hair; they harden within a few days, forming the sharp quills of adults.<ref>{{cite web|author=Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute|url=https://
==Evolution==
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===Taxonomy===
A porcupine is any of 30 species of [[rodent]]s belonging to the families [[New World porcupine|Erethizontidae]] (genera: ''[[Prehensile-tailed porcupine|Coendou]]'', ''[[Erethizon]]'', and ''[[Bristle-spined rat|Chaetomys]]'') or [[Old World porcupine|Hystricidae]] (genera: ''[[Brush-tailed porcupine|Atherurus]]'', ''[[Hystrix (
===Old World compared with New World species===
The 11 [[Old World porcupine]]s tend to be fairly large and have spines grouped in clusters.
The two subfamilies of [[New World porcupine]]s are mostly smaller (although the [[North American porcupine]] reaches about {{convert|85|cm|in|abbr=on|disp=or}} in length and {{convert|18|kg|lb|abbr=on|disp=or}}), have their quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees. The New World porcupines evolved their spines independently (through [[convergent evolution]]) and are more closely related to several other families of rodents than they are to the Old World porcupines.
===Longevity===
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===Diet===
The North American porcupine is a herbivore and often climbs trees for food; it eats leaves, herbs, twigs, and green plants such as [[clover]]. In the winter, it may eat bark.<ref name="NG">{{cite web |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/porcupine/ |title=Porcupine |date=10 September 2010 |work=Animals |publisher=[[National Geographic]] |access-date=16 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127023956/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/porcupine/ |archive-date=27 January 2017 }}</ref><!-- ori link is https://web.archive.org/web/20110928005538/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/porcupine/ but replaced w more updated versn --> The African porcupine is not a climber; instead, it forages on the ground.<ref name="NG"/> It is mostly [[Nocturnality|nocturnal]]<ref name="pornoc">{{cite web |url=http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/north-american-mammals/porcupine |title=North American porcupine – Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) |publisher=Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County |access-date=July 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607082910/http://www.nhm.org/site/explore-exhibits/permanent-exhibits/north-american-mammals/porcupine |archive-date=June 7, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but will sometimes forage for food
===Defence===
Defensive behaviour displays in a porcupine depend on sight, scent, and sound. Often, these displays are shown when a porcupine becomes agitated or annoyed. There are four main displays seen in a porcupine: (in order from least to most aggressive) quill erection, teeth clattering, odour emission, and attack.<ref name="NAP">{{cite book|
====Quills====
[[File:Stekelvarken Aiguilles Porc-épic.jpg|thumb|Quills grow in varying lengths and colours, depending on the animal's age and species.]]
Porcupines' quills, or [[spine (zoology)|spines]], take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairs coated with thick plates of [[keratin]],<ref name=Attenborough>{{cite
Quills are released by contact or may drop out when the porcupine shakes its body. New quills grow to replace lost ones.<ref name=Attenborough/><ref name="NG"/> Despite what is commonly believed, porcupines
There are some possible [[antibiotics|antibiotic]] properties within the quills, specifically associated with the free fatty acids coating the quills.<ref name="Antibiotic" /> The antibiotic properties are believed to aid a porcupine that has suffered from self-injury.
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==Uses by humans==
[[File:MAPElNorte041.JPG|thumbnail|Porcupine guard hair headdress made by native peoples from [[Sonora]] displayed at the [[Museo de Arte Popular]] in Mexico City]]
Porcupines are seldom eaten in [[Western culture]] but are eaten often in [[Southeast Asia]], particularly [[Vietnam]], where the prominent use of them as a food source has contributed to declines in porcupine populations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825103830.htm |title=Wild Southeast Asian porcupines under threat due to illegal hunting, researchers find |publisher=Sciencedaily.com |date=2010-08-25 |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-date=2019-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421160439/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825103830.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.030|title=The conservation impact of commercial wildlife farming of porcupines in Vietnam|year=2010|last1=Brooks|first1=Emma G.E.|last2=Roberton|first2=Scott I.|last3=Bell|first3=Diana J.|journal=Biological Conservation|volume=143|issue=11|pages=2808 |bibcode=2010BCons.143.2808B }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Ettinger, Powell |url=http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/porcupine-vietnam.html#cr |title=Wildlife Extra News – Illegal hunting threatens Vietnam's wild porcupines |publisher=Wildlifeextra.com |date=2010-08-30 |access-date=2012-02-20 |archive-date=2019-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128082742/http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/porcupine-vietnam.html#cr |url-status=live }}</ref> <!-- As mentioned, in Kenya porcupines are eaten as a delicacy.<ref name="BBC"/> -->
Naturalist [[William J. Long]] reported the taste of the North American porcupine as "vile" and "malodorous" and delightful only to a lover of strong cheese. With regards to a Maine state law that restricted the killing of porcupines to keep them available as an emergency game for people lost in the woods, he noted: "It is undoubtedly a good law; but I cannot now imagine
More commonly, their quills and guard hairs are used for traditional decorative clothing; for example, their guard hairs are used in the creation of the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] [[Roach (headdress)|"porky roach"]] headdress. The main quills may be dyed
The presence of barbs, acting like anchors, causes increased pain when removing a quill that has pierced the skin.<ref name=Attenborough/> The shape of the barbs makes the quills effective for penetrating the skin and for remaining in place.<ref name=Cho2012>{{cite journal|doi=10.1073/pnas.1216441109|title=Microstructured barbs on the North American porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration and difficult removal|year=2012|last1=Cho|first1=W. K.|last2=Ankrum|first2=J. A.|last3=Guo|first3=D.|last4=Chester|first4=S. A.|last5=Yang|first5=S. Y.|last6=Kashyap|first6=A.|last7=Campbell|first7=G. A.|last8=Wood|first8=R. J.|last9=Rijal|first9=R. K.|display-authors=9|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=109|issue=52|pages=21289–94|last10=Karnik|first10=R.|last11=Langer|first11=R.|last12=Karp|first12=J. M.|pmid=23236138|pmc=3535670|bibcode=2012PNAS..10921289C|doi-access=free}}</ref> The quills have inspired research for such applications as the design of hypodermic needles and surgical staples.<ref name=Cho2012/><ref name=":0">{{Citation|title=Porcupines Give You 30,000 Reasons to Back Off {{!}} Deep Look|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZphlCdI2yqA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/ZphlCdI2yqA| archive-date=2021-10-30|language=en|access-date=2020-05-14}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In contrast to the current design for surgical staples, the porcupine quill and barb design would allow easy and painless insertion, as the staple would stay in the skin using the anchored barb design rather than being bent under the skin like traditional staples.<ref name=":0" /> Porcupines are also sometimes kept as
==Habitat==
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[[File:MainePorcupine.JPG|thumb|North American porcupine eating grass and clover]]
Porcupines are distributed into two evolutionarily independent groups within the suborder [[Hystricomorpha]] of the Rodentia.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Huchon D., Catzeflis F. |author2=Douzery E. J. P. |name-list-style=amp | title = Variance of molecular datings, evolution of rodents, and the phylogenetic affinities between Ctenodactylidae and Hystricognathi| journal = Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B| volume = 267| issue = 1441| pages = 393–402| year = 2000|pmid =10722222| doi =10.1098/rspb.2000.1014|pmc = 1690539 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Murphy W. J. |author2=Eizirik E. |author3=Johnson W. E. |author4=Zhang Y. P. |author5=Ryder O. A. |author6=O'Brien S. | title = Molecular phylogenetics and the origins of placental mammals| journal = Nature| volume = 409| issue = 6820| pages = 614–618| year = 2001|pmid =11214319| doi =10.1038/35054550|bibcode=2001Natur.409..614M |s2cid=4373847 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Huchon D. |author2=Chevret P. |author3=Jordan U. |author4=Kilpatrick C. W. |author5=Ranwez V. |author6=Jenkins P. D. |author7=Brosius J. |author8=Schmitz J. | title = Multiple molecular evidences for a living mammalian fossil| journal = Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA| volume = 104| issue = 18| pages = 7495–7499| year = 2007|pmid =17452635| doi =10.1073/pnas.0701289104| pmc = 1863447 |bibcode=2007PNAS..104.7495H |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Blanga-Kanfi S. |author2=Miranda H. |author3=Penn O. |author4=Pupko T. |author5=DeBry R. W. |author6=Huchon D. | title = Rodent phylogeny revised: analysis of six nuclear genes from all major rodent clades| journal = BMC Evol. Biol.| volume = 9| pages = 71| year = 2009|issue=1 |pmid = 19341461| doi =10.1186/1471-2148-9-71| pmc = 2674048 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2009BMCEE...9...71B }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author1=Churakov G. |author2=Sadasivuni M. K. |author3=Rosenbloom K. R. |author4=Huchon D. |author5=Brosius J. |author6=Schmitz J. | title = Rodent evolution: back to the root| journal = Mol. Biol. Evol.| volume = 27| issue = 6| pages = 1315–1326| year = 2010|pmid =20100942| doi =10.1093/molbev/msq019|doi-access =free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Meredith R. W. |author2=Janecka J. E. |author3=Gatesy J. |author4=Ryder O. A. |author5=Fisher C. A. |author6=Teeling E. C. |author7=Goodbla A. |author8=Eizirik E. |author9=Simao T. L. |author10=Stadler T. |author11=Rabosky D. L. |author12=Honeycutt R. L. |author13=Flynn J. J. |author14=Ingram C. M. |author15=Steiner C. |author16=Williams T. L. |author17=Robinson T. J. |author18=Burk-Herrick A. |author19=Westerman M. |author20=Ayoub N. A. |author21=Springer M. S. |author22=Murphy W. J. |title=Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution and KPg extinction on mammal diversification |journal=Science |volume=334 |issue=6055 |pages=521–524 |year=2011 |pmid=21940861 |doi=10.1126/science.1211028 |bibcode=2011Sci...334..521M |s2cid=38120449
* '''Infraorder [[Hystricognathi]]'''
** Family [[Hystricidae]]: Old World porcupines
*** [[African brush-tailed porcupine]], ''Atherurus africanus''
*** [[Crested porcupine|African crested porcupine]], ''Hystrix cristata''▼
*** [[Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine]], ''Atherurus macrourus''
▲*** [[Crested porcupine]], ''Hystrix cristata''
*** [[Cape porcupine]], ''Hystrix africaeaustralis''
*** [[Indian porcupine]], ''Hystrix indicus''
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