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The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large quill-covered rodent in the New World porcupine family. It is the second largest rodent in North America after the North American beaver ( Castor canadensis ).
The North American porcupine is a herbivore and often climbs trees for food; it eats leaves, ... quill erection, teeth clattering, odour emission, and attack. [12]
The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is the only extant species, but at least 4 extinct relatives are known, the oldest dating to the Late Pliocene. [2] Porcupines entered North America during the Great American Interchange after the Isthmus of Panama rose 3 million years ago. [3]
They vary in size from the relatively small prehensile-tailed porcupines, which are around 30 cm (12 in) long, and weigh about 900 g (32 oz), to the much larger North American porcupine, which has a body length of 86 cm (34 in), and weighs up to 18 kg (40 lb).
The reasons not to pick up a porcupine clearly outweigh the reasons to do so. Turns out, opinions on the best approach vary among the experts.
Porcupine species including the largest, African porcupine and North American porcupine, are nocturnal bone collectors of thousands of bones, stored inside their den and in open piles in their vicinity. The bones do not satisfy seasonal nutritional deficiency, they prevent overgrown teeth but the shavings are ingested as the bulk of their diet. [8]
The North American river otter is a medium-sized, semiaquatic carnivore endemic to eastern North America. The oldest fossils of American river otters come from Port Kennedy and Cumberland Cave. [11] [1] Cope considered the Port Kennedy specimen distinct, dubbing it L. rhoadsii, but it has been lumped with L. canadensis. [12] [1] †Canis ...
North American beaver: Castor canadensis: Extant: 50 kg (110 lb) 5: Lesser capybara: Hydrochoerus isthmius: Extant: 45.4 kg (100 lb) 6: Eurasian beaver: Castor fiber: Extant: 40 kg (88 lb) 7: Cape porcupine: Hystrix africaeaustralis : Extant: 30 kg (66 lb) 8: Crested porcupine: Hystrix cristata : Extant: 27 kg (60 lb) 9: North American ...