Thin-Spined Porcupine
Central and South America
Description
These New World porcupines are stocky and have blunt muzzles. Thin-Spined Porcupines have small beady eyes and spines/quills that are usually brown or grey. They have long scaly tails with no spines on them at all.
The adults usually weigh 45 ounces and are 16.5 inches in length.
(Red) (EEC)
Adaptations
Usually the porcupine is as slow moving as a sloth but when in danger it can quickly scurry away. If not they use their spines/quills to scare away predators. That is why the Thin-Spined Porcupine's main predator are humans.
The spines on it back are more bristle like than others. Hence having the name Bristle-Spined Rat.
(Red) (EEC)
Habitat
They prefer to live in dense vegetated forests where cocoa trees are present. These tree dwelling mammals live near forest edges, in primary and secondary rainforest.
In daylight Thin-Spined Porcupines like to sleep in hollow trees trunks, nests, or ground holes. At night they like to wander around in the trees and eat.
(Red) (EEC)
Diet/Food
Their diet also consists of many fruits and seeds are chewed up and swallowed too. Flowers sometimes make their way into the menu but nuts are the all time favorites.
(Red) (EEC)
Main Threat
Farming and Agricultural development is wiping out the forests where the Porcupine lives. (Red) (EEC)
Plans
In the span of five years environmentalists hope to reintroduce these animals after reeding them and restoring their habitat. (Red) (EEC)
Other Threat
The Thin-Spined Porcupine is also hunted and trapped, usually for food by humans and animals alike. (Red) (EEC)