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Description
The Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) are large and have a long, strong prehensile tail. They are well adapted to live in trees. Prehensile-tailed porcupine inhabits tropical forests from Argentina to Brazil, as well as eastern parts of Bolivia and the island of Trinidad. They mostly live in old-growth forests where there are abundant trees for dwelling and foraging but they also occupy humid mountainous highlands, vast tropical grasslands, and a few croplands. Their skin color ranges from brownish-black to yellow-orange rust and their backs are covered with long quills. The yellow-orange color results from a pungent waxy substance secreted from their sebaceous glands. The tricolored semi-hollow quills have white tips ending in a barbed end. Their prehensile tails do not have spines and are used for stabilization as well as clinging while climbing and hanging. These animals have small ears, wide nasal openings, long whiskers, and procumbent upper incisors. Their eyes are surrounded by a thin strip of bare skin within their coat of spines that goes all the way to their nose. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are shy nocturnal animals. Their prehensile tail is used to curl around branches when climbing. They are not aggressive but will defend themselves ferociously if attacked. When excited, porcupines stamp their hind feet and if caught, they will roll into a ball. Their main vocalizations consist of growls and shrieks.

Diet and Nutrition: Prehensile-tailed porcupines are herbivores that forage, mostly among trees. They eat the bark and the layer inside the bark of some trees, as well as buds, fruits, roots, stems, blossoms, leaves, unripened seeds, and crops like bananas and corn.

Social: Prehensile-tailed porcupines lead a solitary lifestyle or may spend time in pairs.

Size: They weigh from 4 to 11 pounds. Body at 12 to 24 inches long; tail length at 13 to 19 inches.

Description
The Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) are large and have a long, strong prehensile tail. They are well adapted to live in trees. Prehensile-tailed porcupine inhabits tropical forests from Argentina to Brazil, as well as eastern parts of Bolivia and the island of Trinidad. They mostly live in old-growth forests where there are abundant trees for dwelling and foraging but they also occupy humid mountainous highlands, vast tropical grasslands, and a few croplands. Their skin color ranges from brownish-black to yellow-orange rust and their backs are covered with long quills. The yellow-orange color results from a pungent waxy substance secreted from their sebaceous glands. The tricolored semi-hollow quills have white tips ending in a barbed end. Their prehensile tails do not have spines and are used for stabilization as well as clinging while climbing and hanging. These animals have small ears, wide nasal openings, long whiskers, and procumbent upper incisors. Their eyes are surrounded by a thin strip of bare skin within their coat of spines that goes all the way to their nose. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are shy nocturnal animals. Their prehensile tail is used to curl around branches when climbing. They are not aggressive but will defend themselves ferociously if attacked. When excited, porcupines stamp their hind feet and if caught, they will roll into a ball. Their main vocalizations consist of growls and shrieks.

Diet and Nutrition: Prehensile-tailed porcupines are herbivores that forage, mostly among trees. They eat the bark and the layer inside the bark of some trees, as well as buds, fruits, roots, stems, blossoms, leaves, unripened seeds, and crops like bananas and corn.

Social: Prehensile-tailed porcupines lead a solitary lifestyle or may spend time in pairs.

Size: They weigh from 4 to 11 pounds. Body at 12 to 24 inches long; tail length at 13 to 19 inches.