The New World porcupines, family Erethizontidae, are large, arboreal rodents, distinguished by their spiny coverings from which they take their name. They inhabit forests and wooded regions across North America and into northern South America. Although both the New World and Old World porcupine families belong to the Hystricognathi branch of the vast order Rodentia, they are quite different and are not closely related.

Characteristics

New World porcupines are stout animals, with blunt, rounded heads, fleshy, mobile snouts, and coats of thick, cylindrical, or flattened spines. The "quills" are mixed with long, soft hairs. They vary in size from the relatively small prehensile-tailed porcupines, which are around long, and weigh about , to the much larger North American porcupine, which has a body length of , and weighs up to .

They are distinguished from the Old World porcupines in that they have rooted molars, complete collar bones, entire upper lips, tuberculated soles, no trace of first front toes, and four teats.

They are less strictly nocturnal than Old World species in their habits, and some types live entirely in trees, while others have dens on the ground. Their long and powerful prehensile tails help them balance when they are in the tree tops. Their diets consist mainly of bark, leaves, and conifer needles, but can also include roots, stems, berries, fruits, seeds, nuts, grasses, and flowers. Some species also eat insects and small reptiles. Their teeth are similar to those of Old World porcupines, with the dental formula .

Solitary offspring (or, rarely, twins) are born after a gestation period up to 210 days, depending on the species. The young are born fully developed, with open eyes, and are able to climb trees within a few days of birth.

Classification

thumb|Up close view of head and front claws, [[Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska]]

;Extant genera and species

  • Family Erethizontidae
  • Subfamily Chaetomyinae
  • Genus Chaetomys
  • Bristle-spined rat - C. subspinosus
  • Subfamily Erethizontinae
  • Genus Coendou – prehensile-tailed porcupines
  • Baturite porcupine - C. baturitensis - discovered in 2013
  • Bicolored-spined porcupine - C. bicolor
  • Streaked dwarf porcupine - C. ichillus
  • Bahia porcupine - C. insidiosus
  • Black-tailed hairy dwarf porcupine - C. melanurus
  • Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine - C. mexicanus
  • Amazonian long-tailed porcupine - C. longicaudatus - split from C. prehensilis in 2021
  • Black dwarf porcupine - C. nycthemera
  • Brazilian porcupine - C. prehensilis
  • Frosted hairy dwarf porcupine - C. pruinosus
  • Andean porcupine - C. quichua
  • Rothschild's porcupine - C. rothschildi
  • Roosmalen's dwarf porcupine - C. roosmalenorum
  • Stump-tailed porcupine - C. rufescens
  • Santa Marta porcupine - C. sanctamartae
  • Coandumirim - C. speratus - discovered in 2013
  • Paraguaian hairy dwarf porcupine - C. spinosus
  • Brown hairy dwarf porcupine - C. vestitus
  • Genus Erethizon
  • North American porcupine - E. dorsatum

;Fossil genera

  • †Branisamyopsis
  • †Cholamys
  • †Eopululo
  • †Hypsosteiromys
  • †Microsteiromys
  • †Neosteiromys
  • †Palaeosteiromys
  • †Paradoxomys
  • †Parasteiromys
  • †Protosteiromys

References

  • Erethizontidae, Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition.