 African Crested Porcupine » Hystrix Africaeaustralis » ‘Ystervark’
Porcupines on the red Kalhari dunes, Kgalagadi
©South African Tourism
Definitely the most spectacular of the Shy Five, this endearing creature loves to roam at night rootling for... no, not truffles but bulbs and tubers. Alas, we don't have such a sublime wild delicacy in South Africa… but we do have the ‘African potato,’ or imkomfe, a yummy, wild tuber that grows commercially in KwaZulu Natal and is making its way into stores. The name "porcupine" is a combination of the Latin and French words for pig and spine, roughly translating as "quill pig" which is also the meaning of the Afrikaans name Ystervark. Unquestionably the largest rodent in the southern hemisphere, porcupines are instantly recognizable with their armory of black and white-banded quills. Females can weigh over 25 kg and measure 100 cm in total length. They have good front claws for digging and their tracks are similar to those of the honey badger.
Porcupine roaming in the Northern Cape
©South African Tourism
You might be pondering why on earth mother nature endowed this creature with such a crest of formidable spikes. Well, if you knew how tasty and succulent their plump flesh is under that bristle of quills – you would know why the great creator of all beasts and evolution itself provided such a veritable armory of spines.
The head, neck, sides and underbody are covered with dark bristly hair. A crest of very long coarse hair extends from the neck and shoulders and is erected when the porcupine is alarmed. The tail has hollow quills that function as a warning rattle when shaken. If cornered by a predator then it erects its quills and keeps its vulnerable head away from the attacker. Contrary to popular belief, they cannot 'shoot' their quills, but sometimes make a rush at attackers to stab them with their spines.
A wary porcupine with crest errected, KwaZulu Natal
©South African Tourism
Our friend, the porcupine is a vegetarian who prefers roots, tubers and sometimes a little bark or wild fruit. Well trodden trails are easily identified by shallow holes, exposed plant roots and bulbs and the odd quill. If by chance it rambles into a farmer’s patch it will feast gloriously upon the tatties, pumpkins and any other root vegetables in its path. It gobbles away noisily until just before dawn and then slips away into the foliage to slumber in a burrow - a veritable Winnie the Pooh. After overly sampling the forbidden delights it leaves a trail of destruction to greet the hapless farmer in the morning. Porcupines have also been known to raid cultivated gardens adjoining nature reserves, mystifying gardeners with the nightly disappearance of their beloved arum lilies. A single sighting of these remarkable creatures roaming around the garden by moonlight tends to be ample compensation to the gardener for the pilfering.
- Status: Their population is stable although the increasing demand for their quills as interior decorations and tourist souvenirs sadly spells untimely death to this benign creature – as distasteful as the fur and ivory trade. It has been given Least Risk status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
 When you’re most likely to spot porcupines: Porcupines are nocturnal and start foraging well after dusk until just before dawn. Sometimes they bask in the sun just outside their burrows. Where porcupines roam: They range widely but prefer broken veld, occuring throughout southern Africa except in the Namib desert.
 Reproduction & dwellings: During the day they sleep in caves, rock crevices, burrows or hidden in dense vegetation. Although they are solitary foragers, they often share their burrows. They usually have one or two young but can have a litter of up to four. The young are well developed at birth and suckle for about 3 months. They start foraging under the protection of their parents during the weaning stage.
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