User:Atrian/North American porcupine
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The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), also known as the Canadian porcupine or common porcupine, is a large rodent in the New World porcupine family. The beaver is the only larger rodent in North America. The porcupine is a caviomorph rodent whose ancestors rafted across the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil over 30 million years ago, and then migrated to North America during the Great American Interchange after the Isthmus of Panama rose 3 million years ago.[4]
Quick Facts North American porcupine Temporal range: Pleistocene - Recent, Conservation status ...
North American porcupine Temporal range: Pleistocene - Recent | |
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Phylum: | Chordata |
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Genus: | Erethizon F. Cuvier, 1823 |
Species: | E. dorsatum |
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Erethizon dorsatum (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
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They range from Canada, Alaska, and into northern Mexico. They are commonly found in coniferous and mixed forested areas but have adapted to harsh environments such as shrublands, tundra and deserts. They make their dens in hollow trees or in rocky areas.