Old World porcupine

Old World porcupines are large rodents in the family Hystricidae, native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Their coats include long, sharp, modified hairs called quills.

Hystricidae: Hystricidae is the rodent family comprising Old World porcupines. This family is the taxonomic group that contains every Old World porcupine.
Quill erection: Quill erection is the raising of an animal’s quills through the action of skin muscles. Raised quills make an Old World porcupine appear larger when threatened.
Crested porcupine: The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) is a large African and southern European rodent with a prominent crest of long quills. It is a well-known species of Old World porcupine.
Caviomorpha: Caviomorpha is a South American rodent group that includes guinea pigs, capybaras, and chinchillas. Caviomorphs and Old World porcupines belong to the broader hystricognath lineage.
Rodentia: Rodentia is the mammalian order defined by a pair of continuously growing incisors in each jaw. Old World porcupines belong to this order despite their unusual defensive coats.
Porcupine defense: Porcupine defense combines warning displays and sharp quills that can injure attackers on contact. The quills deter predators but are not launched as projectiles.
Indian crested porcupine: The Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) is a large Asian rodent with black-and-white banded quills. This widespread Asian species illustrates the family’s range beyond Africa and Europe.
Rodent evolution: Rodent evolution is the evolutionary history and diversification of the mammalian order Rodentia. It provides the wider history in which the porcupine family arose.
Quill: A quill is a stiff, modified hair with a sharp tip, found in animals such as porcupines. These modified hairs form the porcupine’s conspicuous defense.
Porcupine quill: A porcupine quill is a stiff, detachable defensive hair with a sharp point and, in some species, backward-facing barbs. Quill shape and attachment help explain how injuries occur during contact.

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