Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine

Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine

Sphiggurus mexicanus

Silhouette: PhyloPic · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Tortuguero National Park
45 Verified sightings at Tortuguero National Park From 2019 to 2026
235 Verified sightings across all 27 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted Active throughout day and night

About the Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine

The Mexican hairy dwarf porcupine or Mexican tree porcupine (Coendou mexicanus) is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Mexico, Nicaragua and Belize.

This species was formerly sometimes assigned to Sphiggurus, a genus no longer recognized since genetic studies showed it to be polyphyletic. Its closest relatives are the Andean porcupine (Coendou quichua) and the stump-tailed porcupine (Coendou rufescens).

This porcupine has a pale head and a dark-coloured body. The head-and-body length ranges between about 320 and 457 mm (12.6 and 18.0 in), with a tail ranging from 200 to 358 mm (8 to 14 in). The maximum weight is about 2.6 kg (6 lb). This porcupine is covered with short yellowish spines but these are almost entirely obscured by the long black hair on the body. Sometimes the spines on the shoulders and back are visible projecting through the hairs. By contrast, the head is hairless, revealing the yellowish spines. The snout is pink, broad and bulbous, and the eyes are small. The tail is prehensile, spiny and broad at the base, tapering to a point. This porcupine differs from Rothschild... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tortuguero National Park

Central American Agouti
LC

Central American Agouti

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Dasyprocta punctata

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Variegated Squirrel
LC

Variegated Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Sciurus variegatoides

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
2 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
3 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
4 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
5 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
6 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
7 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
9 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
10 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
11 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
12 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
13 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
14 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
15 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
16 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
17 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
18 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
19 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
20 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
21 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
22 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
23 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
24 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
25 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
26 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
27 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine in Tortuguero National Park?

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 45 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine in Tortuguero National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.

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