Cape Porcupine
Hystrix africaeaustralis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilyHystricidae (Old World Porcupines)
- GenusHystrix (Crested Porcupines and Allies)
- SpeciesHystrix africaeaustralis (Cape Porcupine)
About the Cape Porcupine
The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis), Cape crested porcupine or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa. Cape porcupines are one of the largest rodents in Africa and also one of the largest species of porcupine. Cape porcupines are amongst the largest living rodents in the world; a few other rodents appear to be larger in body mass such as the capybara and the Eurasian and North American beavers. They are similar in appearance to the slightly larger and closely related crested porcupine. They can most easily be distinguished from them by the presence of a band of short white spines along the midline of the rump. Indian porcupines are almost the same size on average as well, being slightly heavier on average than crested porcupines but slightly lighter than Cape porcupines.
Cape porcupines measure 63 to 81 centimetres (25 to 32 inches) long from the head to the base of the tail, with the tail adding a further 11–20 centimetres (4.3–7.9 inches). They weigh from 10 to 24 kilograms (22 to 53 pounds), with exceptionally large specimens weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb); males and females are not significantly... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 2 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 3 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 8 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 12 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 14 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 15 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 16 | Gorongosa National Park | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 17 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 18 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 19 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 20 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 21 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 22 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |