Activity spikes at night

When the sun goes down, porcupines become their most active.  

As a nocturnal species, these spikey explorers get busy around dawn, dusk and at night.

Rodent alert

Cape Porcupines are native to central and southern Africa, they’re actually Africa’s largest rodent!

With their large robust bodies, they can grow up to 81 cm long, and that’s before adding their impressive 50 cm quills.

Prickly protection

Quills to Cape Porcupines are like hair to humans but with a prickly twist!

Despite the popular myth, they cannot throw their quills. Instead, they rattle their quills loudly as a warning to predators nearby.

It’s only when danger gets too close, the porcupine charges backwards using their long spikes as self-defence!
 
Teeth with a twist

Ever spotted a porcupine’s smile? There’s no missing their bright orange-red incisors (front-teeth).

Full of iron and super strong, their incisors never stop growing, so they can keep chewing their way through life. 

Crunch and sip

Porcupines love to gnaw!

Crunching on tree bark, logs, old bones, and veggies keeps their teeth sharp and helps them digest lots of important minerals.

Perth Zoo is home to two Cape Porcupines, Nuku and Nzuri. The best time to spot our prickly pair is first thing in the morning. You might get to spot our keepers treat them to a bit of corn or sweet potato.