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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing

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Maximum longevity: 23.1 years (captivity) Observations: In the wild, these animals can live up to 15 years (Ronald Nowak 1999). One captive specimen lived for 23.1 years (Richard Weigl 2005).
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Behavior

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Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Conservation Status

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South African porcupines are not considered threatened currently.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Benefits

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Porcupines eat vegetable crops and are destructive feeders. That is, they dig up and destroy much more food than they eat.

Negative Impacts: crop pest

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Benefits

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Porcupines are important members of healthy ecosystems.

Positive Impacts: food

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Associations

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Porcupine foraging has important impacts on the plant communities in which they live.

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Trophic Strategy

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South African porcupines are mostly vegetarian, using their strong digging claws to get roots, tubers, and bulbs. They are also fond of fallen fruits and will sometimes gnaw on bark. Their anterior large intestine and enlarged appendix contain microorganisms that break down undigested plant fibers.

They have also been reported to eat carrion in some instances. In areas deficient in phosphorous they practice osteophagia, or gnawing on bones. These porcupines will often accumulate large piles of bones in their dens.

Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; wood, bark, or stems; flowers

Primary Diet: herbivore (Lignivore, Eats sap or other plant foods)

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Distribution

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Hystrix africaeaustralis is found only in sub-saharan Africa, excluding the coastal desert of the southwest.

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Habitat

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South African porcupines are found from sea level to 2000 m above sea level in most areas with vegetation. They prefer rocky hills and outcrops, as they must have shelter during the day. They often take shelter in caves or antbear (Orycteropus afer) holes. They also build dens which can be up to 20m long with a 2m deep living chamber.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Life Expectancy

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These porcupines are long-lived for rodents, surviving 12 to 15 years in the wild.

Typical lifespan
Status: wild:
12 to 15 years.

Range lifespan
Status: wild:
15 (high) years.

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Morphology

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South African porcupines are the largest rodent in their region. Females are, on average, about one kilogram heavier than males and both sexes are larger than half a meter long.

These porcupines are covered with flat, bristly hairs and have quills and spines on the posterior back and flanks. The difference between quills and spines is largely one of length and thickness, with spines up to 50 cm long and quills up to 30 cm long. The white and black crest of spines and quills can be erected at will to make the animal look enormous and threatening. Some spines on the tail are hollow and make a rattling sound when shaken. The very sharp spines and quills come off when touched by a predator or shaken off, but they grow back rapidly. South African porcupines also have very long mobile whiskers.

Range mass: 18 to 30 kg.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: female larger

Average basal metabolic rate: 13.175 W.

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Associations

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Hystrix africaeaustralis have interesting defensive behaviors. They have quite acute hearing and will freeze when approached by predators, such as big cats, large predatory birds, or hyaenas. When cornered, these porcupines can be aggressive, running sideways or backwards to embed their sharp quills in an attacker. Contrary to myth, they can not throw their quills, but they may become dislodged when they shake their hollow rattling quills. Another defensive behavior is to hide in their holes facing in and erect their spines so that they can not be dislodged.

Anti-predator Adaptations: aposematic

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Reproduction

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Because of their dangerous anatomy, females initiate copulation by presenting to the males.

Male porcupines reach sexual maturity between eight and eighteen months, while females reach sexual maturity between nine and sixteen months. Gestation lasts for three months.

The young are born in litters of one to four into a grass-lined chamber in the parents' den during the wet months of August to March. The average litter size is 1.5 and the average newborn mass is 311g.

Young porcupines nurse for three to four months, at which point they will weigh four to five kilograms. After the weaning of their young, female porcupines can not conceive for another three to five months.

Breeding interval: Female porcupines usually breed once yearly, although more often is possible.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs from May through December.

Range number of offspring: 1 to 4.

Average number of offspring: 1.5.

Average gestation period: 3 months.

Range weaning age: 3 to 4 months.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 9 to 16 months.

Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 8 to 18 months.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous

Average birth mass: 351 g.

Average gestation period: 94 days.

Average number of offspring: 2.1.

Young are born relatively well-developed, with their eyes open and teeth present. They have soft quills and spines at birth (most likely to ease the birthing process) but they quickly harden in the air. The young grow rapidly, reaching full size in about a year.

Parental Investment: precocial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

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DeBruine, L. 2000. "Hystrix africaeaustralis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed April 27, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Hystrix_africaeaustralis.html
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Lisa DeBruine, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Phil Myers, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
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Tanya Dewey, Animal Diversity Web
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Cape porcupine

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The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), Cape crested porcupine or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa.

Description

Porcupine head

Cape porcupines are the largest rodents in Africa and also the world's largest porcupines. Cape porcupines are amongst the largest living rodents in the world; a few other rodents appear to be larger in body mass such as the capybara and the Eurasian and North American beavers.[2][3][4] They are similar in appearance to, and only slightly smaller than, their close relatives, the crested porcupines, and can most easily be distinguished from them by the presence of a band of short white spines along the midline of the rump. Indian porcupines are almost the same size on average as well, being slightly heavier on average than crested porcupine but slightly lighter than Cape porcupines.[5][6]

Cape porcupines measure 63 to 81 centimetres (25 to 32 inches) long from the head to the base of the tail, with the tail adding a further 11–20 centimetres (4.3–7.9 inches).[2] They weigh from 10 to 24 kilograms (22 to 53 pounds), with exceptionally large specimens weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb);[7][8] males and females are not significantly different in size.[2] The average weight of males from Zimbabwe was 16.9 kg (37 lb) and while the average for females there was 18.4 kg (41 lb) while in the Orange river valley of South Africa males averaged 12.3 kg (27 lb) and females averaged 13 kg (29 lb).[2]

They are heavily-built animals, with stocky bodies, short limbs, and an inconspicuous tail. The body is covered in long spines up to 50 centimetres (20 in) in length, interspersed with thicker, sharply pointed, defence quills up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long, and with bristly, blackish or brownish fur. The spines on the tail are hollow, and used to make a rattling sound to scare away predators. An erectile crest of long, bristly hairs runs from the top of the head down to the shoulders. The spines and quills cover the back and flanks of the animal, starting about a third of the way down the body, and continuing onto the tail. The quills have multiple bands of black and white along their length, and grow from regularly spaced grooves along the animal's body; each groove holding five to eight quills. The remainder of the animal, including the undersides, is covered with dark hair.[2]

The eyes and ears are relatively small, and the mobile whiskers are short. The feet have five clawed toes, although the first toes on the forefeet are vestigial. Females have two pairs of teats.[2]

Distribution and habitat

Cape porcupines are found across the whole of southern and central Africa, to southern Kenya, Uganda, and Congo at the northern edge of their range. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from sea level to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), although they are only marginally present in dense forests and the driest of deserts, and are not found in swampland.[1][9] There are no currently recognised subspecies.

Diet and behaviour

Debarking of a buffalo thorn by a Cape porcupine

Cape porcupines eat mostly plant material: fruits, roots, tubers, bulbs, and bark. They have a long small intestine and large caecum, employing hindgut fermentation to break down the tough materials in their food.[10] They have also been reported to gnaw on carrion and bones. They are often considered pests by local farmers, because they can feed on crops and damage trees.[2] However, their debarking of trees may also play a role in the maintenance of local savannah ecosystems, helping to prevent the development of denser forested environments.[11]

Cape porcupines are nocturnal and monogamous, typically living as mated pairs of adults, caring for any young together. Each pair may inhabit up to six burrows, jointly defending their shared territory,[12] although they typically forage as individuals.[9] Both sexes scent mark their territory, although males do so more frequently, and may play a more active role in its defence.[13] The size of the home range varies depending on the local habitat and availability of food, but can range between at least 67 and 203 hectares (170 and 500 acres).[2]

When attacked, the porcupine freezes. If cornered, it turns vicious and charges to stab its attacker with its quills. Otherwise, the porcupine may retreat into its burrow, exposing only its quills and making it hard to dislodge.

Reproduction

Cape porcupines mate throughout the year, although births are most common during the rainy season, between August and March. Unless a previous litter is lost, females typically give birth only once each year. Oestrus lasts for an average of nine days, during which a membrane across the vagina opens to allow insemination.[14] After mating, a copulatory plug forms, which is expelled about 48 hours later.[15]

Gestation lasts around 94 days, and results in the birth of a litter of up to three young, although over half of births are of singletons.[14] Newborn young weigh 300 to 440 grams (11 to 16 oz), and initially have soft quills. Although they are born with their incisor teeth fully erupted, the remaining teeth begin to appear at 14 days, with the full set of adult teeth present by 25 months.[16] They are weaned at around 100 days of age,[14] and grow rapidly for the first twenty weeks, reaching the full adult size, and sexual maturity, at the end of their first year.[17]

Relative to most other rodents, Cape porcupines are long-lived, surviving for ten years in the wild, or up to twenty years in captivity.[2]

References

Wikispecies has information related to Hystrix africaeaustralis.
  1. ^ a b Grubb, P. (2008). "Hystrix africaeaustralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.old-form url
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barthelmess, E. L. (2006). "Hystrix africaeaustralis". Mammalian Species. 788: Number 788: pp. 1–7. doi:10.1644/788.1.
  3. ^ Carwardine, M. (2008). Animal records. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc..
  4. ^ Pillay, K. R., Wilson, A. L., Ramesh, T., & Downs, C. T. (2015). Digestive parameters and energy assimilation of Cape porcupine on economically important crops. African Zoology, 50(4), 321-326.
  5. ^ Alkon, P. U.; Mitrani, D. S. (1988). Influence of season and moonlight on temporal-activity patterns of Indian crested porcupines (Hystrix indica). Journal of Mammalogy, 69(1), 71-80.
  6. ^ Mori, E.; Lovari, S. (2014). Sexual size monomorphism in the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata). Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, 79(2), 157-160.
  7. ^ Burnie, D.; Wilson, D. E. (eds.), Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife. DK Adult (2005), ISBN 0789477645
  8. ^ Wildcliff Nature Reserve Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ a b van Aarde, R. J. (1987). "Demography of a Cape porcupine, Hystrix africaeaustralis, population". Journal of Zoology. 213 (2): 205–212. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb03694.x.
  10. ^ van Jaarsveld, A. S. (1983). "Aspects of the digestion in the Cape porcupine" (PDF). South African Journal of Animal Science. 13 (1): 31–33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
  11. ^ Yeaton, R.I. (1988). "Porcupines, fires and the dynamics of the tree layer of the Burkea africana savanna". Journal of Ecology. 76 (4): 1017–1029. doi:10.2307/2260630. JSTOR 2260630.
  12. ^ Corbet, N. U.; van Aarde, R. J. (1996). "Social organization and space use in the Cape porcupine in a southern African savanna". African Journal of Ecology. 34 (1): 1–14. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.542.9746. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.1996.tb00589.x.
  13. ^ de Villiers, M. S.; et al. (1994). "Habitat utilization by the Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis in a savanna ecosystem". Journal of Zoology. 232 (3): 539–549. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1994.tb00002.x.
  14. ^ a b c van Aarde, R. J. (1985). "Reproduction in captive female Cape porcupines (Hystrix africaeaustralis)". Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 75 (2): 577–582. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0750577. PMID 4067934.
  15. ^ van Aarde, R. J.; Skinner, J. D. (1986). "Reproductive biology of the male Cape porcupine, Hystrix africaeaustralis" (PDF). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 76 (2): 545–552. doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0760545. PMID 3701699.
  16. ^ van Aarde, R. J. (1985). "Age determination of Cape porcupines, Hystrix africaeaustralis". African Journal of Zoology. 20 (4): 232–236. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.485.5438. doi:10.1080/02541858.1985.11447940. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24.
  17. ^ van Aarde, R. J. (1987). "Pre- and postnatal growth of the Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis". Journal of Zoology. 211 (1): 25–33. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb07450.x.
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Cape porcupine: Brief Summary

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The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), Cape crested porcupine or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa.

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