About Atherurus africanus Gray, 1842
Atherurus africanus, commonly called the African brush-tailed porcupine, has a body length ranging from 40 to 50 cm, not including its tail. Adult individuals of this species weigh approximately 3 kg. It has an elongated, rat-like face and body, paired with short legs that end in clawed, webbed feet. Unlike the quills of most other porcupine species, the quills of the brush-tailed porcupine are light and small. The quills on its tail are thinner and shaped like a brush; when rattled, these tail quills produce audible noise. This porcupine is distributed across Benin, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda. It inhabits tropical rainforest at altitudes up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Brush-tailed porcupines live in small family groups of around eight members, and different family groups may share resources. When threatened by a predator, the porcupine raises its quills to appear roughly twice its original size, rattles its tail quills, and stomps its feet. Like all porcupines, it will back into an attacker to inflict damage with its quills. This species is nocturnal, and sleeps in caves and burrows during the day. It lives in forests, most commonly at high elevations. The brush-tailed porcupine is primarily herbivorous, feeding on fallen leaves, flowers, and fruits found on the forest floor. It also consumes roots and palm nuts, occasionally eats carrion, and will invade adjacent maize, cassava, and banana crops grown near forest edges. During the breeding season, males and females form pair bonds. Compared to other rodent species, female brush-tailed porcupines have a long gestation period that can last up to 110 days. Their offspring are born well-developed, or precocial. Young porcupines reach sexual maturity at approximately 2 years of age. The meat of the brush-tailed porcupine is popular and is consumed in large volumes by local human populations.
