Prehensile-tailed porcupine

Coendou prehensilis

Status

Least Concern

Activity Period

Nocturnal

Classification

Mammal

Porcupines cannot shoot their quills! Quills are modified hair and attached like human hair.

Prehensile-tailed porcupines get their name from their long tail that acts like a fifth limb. This tail is very strong and can support a porcupine’s full body weight. This is very useful when you spend most of you day in the rainforest canopy treetops!

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Habitat

Prehensile-tailed porcupines are found in South American tropical forests. They are arboreal, meaning they spend most of their lives in trees.

Range

They are found across Venezuela, Guiana, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Trinidad and the northernmost regions of Argentina.

Life Expectancy

Maximum expectancy under human care is 17 years.

Diet

Flowers, bark, leaves, fruits, seeds and other parts of trees.

Social Structure

These porcupines seem to prefer solitary lifestyles but have been observed living in small groups in areas where food is abundant.

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