INDIAN
PORCUPINE (Hystrix indica)
The Indian porcupine is mainly nocturnal
and is therefore not often seen. Adults can grow to
90 cm and weigh over 18 kg. Long sharp bristles and
a profuse armory of spines and quills on its back and
tail make this large rodent no easy prey. To warn potential
predators, the white, open-ended tail quills produce
a rattling sound when shaken. Those on the back are
black, brown and white striped. They are extremely sharp
and easily removed as they are a form of modified hair.
A resident of sal forest and grasslands, the porcupine
lives in burrows which it usually excavates near streams
and ravines.
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