EntdeckenSäugetiere

Erethizon

The Erethizon, also known as the North American porcupine, is a spiky animal that loves to climb trees. They are mostly nocturnal and enjoy munching on leaves and bark.

Lebensraum: Forests

Aussehen

The Erethizon is a large, robust rodent covered in thousands of sharp, barbed quills. Its body is typically brownish-black with a dense layer of yellowish-white quills tipped with black, making it visually distinct from any other North American mammal.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungRodentiaFamilieErethizontidaeGattungErethizon

Erethizon

Kategorie

Säugetiere

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

2/5 · Gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A baby porcupine is called a 'porcupette' and is born with soft, bendable quills!

Porcupines are the only mammal in North America covered in quills!

Their quills have tiny, overlapping barbs that make them very hard to remove!

They cannot 'shoot' their quills, but they detach super easily if brushed against.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Erethizon can defend itself from predators because of its thousands of sharp, barbed quills that detach easily upon contact.

Erethizon can climb trees efficiently because of strong claws and grippy footpads that help them reach food and safety.

Erethizon has quills that regrow quickly because it helps them maintain their full protective armor after encounters.

Maße und Details

Länge: 75-120 cm
Gewicht: 4.5-13 kg
Lebenserwartung: 5-10 Jahre
Top Speed: 4 km/h
Wurfgröße: 1
Tragzeit: 200-210 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

This herbivore munches on leaves, twigs, and bark, especially in winter when other foods are scarce.

Hauptnahrung

Bark
Leaves
Twigs
Buds
Fruits

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Coyote

Canis latrans

Coyotes are common predators, often trying to flip porcupines over.

hunts

Fisher

Pekania pennanti

Fishers are agile mustelids known for preying on porcupines in trees.

eats

Quaking Aspen

Populus tremuloides

Porcupines strip bark from aspen trees, especially during winter for food.

eaten by

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

These large owls can prey on porcupines from the air, avoiding quills.

Merkmale

Pelzig

Pelzig beschreibt Tiere, die eine dichte Schicht aus weichen Haaren oder Fell besitzen.

Baumbewohnend

Baumbewohnende Tiere leben hauptsächlich in Bäumen und nutzen diese als Unterschlupf, Nahrungsquelle und zum Schutz vor Raubtieren.

Pflanzenfressend

Dieses Merkmal kennzeichnet Lebewesen, deren Ernährung vollständig oder hauptsächlich aus pflanzlichem Material besteht.

Stachelig/Dornig

Besitzt scharfe, spitze Vorsprünge oder Stacheln auf dem Körper oder der Oberfläche.

Wald

Waldlebensräume sind terrestrische Lebensräume, die von dichtem Baumbestand dominiert werden und eine große Vielfalt an Pflanzen- und Tierarten beherbergen.