Cape porcupine

Cape porcupine facts

1. Cape porcupines are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. During the day they like to shelter from the hot sun inside deep burrows.
2. Baby porcupines are called porcupettes!
3. Despite being herbivores, Cape porcupines have been known to gnaw on bones for nutrients during the dry season.
4. A group of porcupines is known as a prickle! Cape porcupines are monogamous, and usually live in small family groups using their powerful sense of smell to communicate with each other.
5. Cape porcupines are the largest rodents in Africa, and porcupines are the third largest rodents in the world after capybaras and beavers. Like all rodents their incisor teeth never stop growing to help them chew through bark, fruits and roots. They play an important role in maintaining savannah habitats by controlling the growth of trees.  

Are there porcupines at London Zoo? 

London Zoo is home to a family of porcupines - look out for them in our Animal Adventure area of the Zoo, next to our meerkats. 

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Do porcupines shoot their quills?

Contrary to popular belief, porcupines are not capable of shooting their quills at potential attackers. But their quills do act as a powerful deterrent to predators such as lions, hyenas and cheetahs. At birth, baby porcupines are covered in soft quills to avoid poking their mothers which soon harden up. The quills are modified hairs made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails and hair. Adult porcupines can have spines up to 50cm, which may be as sharp as a hypodermic needle. When threatened by a potential predator, porcupines will raise their quills making themselves appear larger. This defensive display is often accompanied by feet stomping, hissing and snorting. Some quills on the tail are hollow and create a rattling sound to further scare predators.