What is the scientific name of porcupine?

What is the scientific name of porcupine?

Erethizon dorsatum
North American porcupine/Scientific names

What kind of porcupines live in Canada?

Of the world’s 23 species, only the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) occurs in Canada, throughout mainland forests and thickets.

How big is a Canadian porcupine?

68 to 100 cm
The porcupine is Canada’s second largest rodent, next to the beaver. Adult males reach an average weight of 5.5 kg after six years; the females reach 4.5 kg. The total length averages 68 to 100 cm, and the height at the shoulders is about 30 cm.

What is another name for a porcupine?

Porcupine synonyms In this page you can discover 6 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for porcupine, like: spiny, hedgehog, hyrax, hystrix, porcus and stripeless.

Is porcupine a marsupial?

Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predators. The term covers two families of animals, the Old World porcupines and New World porcupines. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. …

How fast can a porcupine run?

about six mph
How fast can a porcupine run? The porcupines are slow animals moving at an average speed of about six mph.

What is another name for a Canadian porcupine?

It is also referred to as the Canadian porcupine or common porcupine. The porcupine’s scientific name, Erethizon dorsatum, can be loosely translated as “the animal with the irritating back”. Native American terms for it include the Lakota name pahin meaning quill, the Ho-Chunk name waxąhį, and the Chipewyan name ts’l.

Where do porcupines live in the world?

Of the world’s 23 species, only the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) occurs in Canada, throughout mainland forests and thickets. Of the world’s 23 species, only the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) occurs in Canada, throughout mainland forests and thickets.

What is the average size of a porcupine?

Fast Facts: Porcupine. Scientific name: Erethizon dorsatum. Average weight: 5.5 kg (male) 4.5 kg (female) Average height: 60 to 100 cm. Average lifespan: 10 years or more.

How did the North American porcupine get to North America?

The North American porcupine migrated from South America, where all New World porcupines or hystricomorphs evolved. Erethizon appeared in North America shortly after the two continents joined together in the later Tertiary period. Other hystricomorphs also migrated, but Erethizon was the only one to survive north of Mexico.