Hystricidae - Old World porcupines

There are 11 species in this family. Old World porcupines are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They have stocky bodies, rounded heads, and stiff quills.

Old World porcupine quills don't have the barbs found on the quills of New World porcupines, but they can still get stuck in the flesh of an attacking animal!

Unlike New World porcupines, Old World porcupines don't climb trees. They are omnivores and eat plants and carrion.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status, or there is no status data for the species.

Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US

Endangered in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

Species Around the World
Location Key Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species
African Brush-tailed Porcupine - Atherurus africanus Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine - Atherurus macrourus Cape Porcupine - Hystrix africaeaustralis Malayan Porcupine - Hystrix brachyura Thick-spined Porcupine - Hystrix crassispinis Crested Porcupine - Hystrix cristata		Indian Crested Porcupine - Hystrix indica Sunda Porcupine - Hystrix javanica Philippine Porcupine - Hystrix pumila Sumatran Porcupine - Hystrix sumatrae Long-tailed Porcupine - Trichys fasciculata s

Additional Information

Resource Key
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Porcupines
Porcupines are found in two main regions of the world, so they are grouped by scientists into either Old World porcupines or New World porcupines. Old World porcupines are found in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Source: San Diego Zoo Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

African Brush-tailed Porcupine - Atherurus africanus
The African brush-tailed porcupine is found in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Cape Porcupine - Hystrix africaeaustralis
The Cape porcupine is found in Botswana, Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Crested Porcupine - Hystrix cristata
The crested porcupine is found in Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Indian Crested Porcupine - Hystrix indica
The Indian crested porcupine is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Yemen.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Philippine Porcupine - Hystrix pumila
The Philippine porcupine is found in the Philippines.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School