Porcupine

Family Erethizontidae

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  Coendou

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  Sphiggurus

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  Erethizon

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  Echinoprocta

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Family Hystricidae

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  Atherurus

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  Hystrix

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  Thecurus

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  Trichys

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Porcupines are rodents known for their coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend it from predators. The porcupines include the third largest rodent, after the capybara and the mara. Most porcupines are about 60-90 cm (25-36 inches) long, with an 20-25 cm (8-10 inch) long tail. Weighing between 5-16 kg (12-35 pounds), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come in various shades of brown and the unusual white. The name "porcupine" comes from combining the Latin for pig and French for spine, hence the nickname "quill pig" for the animal.

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In parts of Africa, porcupines are eaten as a form of bush meat.

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Mara: The word Mara can mean:...

Latin: Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. It gained great importance as the formal language of the Roman Empire. All Romance languages are descended from Latin, and many words based on Latin are found in other modern languages such as English. The ...

French: French can refer to more than one article:...

Porcupine related Images and Photos (experimental)

Porcupine Montana	Porcupine in a Tree	Porcupine and Monkey	Porcupine in Coastal Fog Kaokoveld Namib Desert
Lion and Porcupine	Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Autumn Michigan USA	A North American Porcupine Climbs Down a Tree in the Snow