Details
Erethizon dorsatum
North American porcupine is a mammal associated with forests. It is herbivorous and usually solitary. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Nearctic, where it uses forests. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 60-90 cm, weight 3.5 kg-18 kg. It has a small agile rodent-like build, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is herbivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in forests, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Erethizon dorsatum. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
