One of South America’s most fascinating tree-dwellers, combining the toughness of a spiky armor suit with the agility of an acrobat. Found in the tropical forests of Brazil, Venezuela, the Guianas, and parts of the Amazon Basin, this porcupine looks very different from the ground-dwelling porcupines people may be more familiar with. Instead of lumbering along the forest floor, the Brazilian porcupine is built for life in the trees. It has a long, prehensile tail—like a monkey’s—which it uses to grip branches as it climbs and moves about the canopy. Its body is covered in sharp quills for protection, but the quills are often mixed with longer, softer hair, giving it a shaggy, slightly scruffy look.

One of its most distinctive traits is its specialized climbing adaptations. The Brazilian porcupine has strong, curved claws and a remarkable tail that acts like a fifth limb. Unlike many mostly terrestrial porcupines, this species spends most of its life in the trees, feeding, sleeping, and even mating among the branches. Its diet consists mainly of leaves, flowers, shoots, and fruits, though it’s not picky and will happily munch on bark and stems too.

Behaviorally, the Brazilian porcupine is a bit of a night owl. It is nocturnal, spending the day curled up in a tree hollow or nestled in dense foliage, and becoming active after sunset. At night, it can be seen foraging carefully among branches, using its tail for balance and safety. When threatened, it employs its quills as its main defense—raising them and rattling its tail to warn off predators like jaguars, ocelots, or large birds of prey. If that doesn’t work, it can swing its spiky tail toward an attacker, delivering a painful reminder not to mess with it.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Argentina

2016

Bolivia

2016

Brazil

2016

Colombia

2016

French Guiana

2016

Guyana

2016

Paraguay

2016

Peru

2016

Suriname

2016

Trinidad & Tobago

2016

Venezuela

2016