Erethizontidae

E737825

Erethizontidae is the family of New World porcupines, medium-sized arboreal or terrestrial rodents characterized by coats of sharp quills used for defense.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf mammal taxon
rodent family
taxonomic family
activityPattern primarily nocturnal
belongsToBiogeographicRealm Nearctic NERFINISHED
Neotropical
class Mammalia
commonName New World porcupines NERFINISHED
containsGenus Chaetomys NERFINISHED
Coendou NERFINISHED
Coendou-like arboreal porcupines
Echinoprocta NERFINISHED
Erethizon NERFINISHED
Sphiggurus NERFINISHED
defenseMechanism embedding quills in predators
erecting quills
dentitionType ever-growing incisors
diet herbivorous
differsFrom Hystricidae NERFINISHED
geologicalTimeOfOrigin Miocene or earlier
hasBodyCovering fur
keratinous quills
hasCharacteristic arboreal or terrestrial lifestyle
coat of sharp quills
medium-sized rodents
quills used for defense
hasTailType often prehensile in arboreal genera
includesSpecies Coendou prehensilis NERFINISHED
Erethizon dorsatum NERFINISHED
isDistinctFrom Old World porcupines
isSubjectOf rodent systematics research
kingdom Animalia
locomotion climbing
walking
nativeTo Central America
North America
South America
order Rodentia
phylum Chordata
quillsAre modified hairs
quillsContain barbed tips
reproduction viviparous
sensoryAdaptation well-developed sense of smell
superfamily Hystricoidea NERFINISHED
typicalDietItem bark
fruits
leaves
twigs

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Sciurognathi includesTaxon Erethizontidae
Hystricognathi containsClade Erethizontidae