Cape Porcupine

These African porcupines dig life on the ground—literally! They dig up plant parts such as roots and tubers, but they also eat fruit and bark, which they digest thanks to microbes in their large intestine. Their bodies are covered in quills and large spines, which are more than a foot long! Cape porcupines defend themselves by running sideways or backward at attackers. They also may take cover in a hole in the ground with the spines facing outward.

Cape porcupines are mostly nocturnal, resting with their family in underground burrows during the day. Baby porcupines are born underground and are cared for by their parents for 3–4 months. They are born with soft quills that harden within a few hours in the air.