Malayan porcupine
| Malayan porcupine | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Hystrix brachyura, Malayan porcupine - Kaeng Krachan National Park, Thailand | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Hystricidae |
| Genus: |
Hystrix Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Subgenus: | Acanthion |
| Species: | H. brachyura |
| Binomial name | |
|
Hystrix brachyura Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
| Sub-species | |
|
H. b. brachyura |
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H. b. brachyura
H. b. subcristata
H. b. hodgsoni
H. b. punungensis (extinct)
H. b. yunnanensis Anderson, 1878
H. b. bengalensis Blyth, 1851
The Malayan porcupine or Himalayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura) is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae. Three subspecies are extant in South and South-east Asia.
The Malayan porcupine ranges from Nepal through North-east India (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland), to central and southern China (Xizang, Hainan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Fujian, Jianxi, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Gansu), throughout Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam, through Peninsular Malaysia, to Singapore, Sumatra (Indonesia) and throughout Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia, Sarawak and Brunei). It is also present on the island of Penang, Malaysia. It can be found from sea level to at least 1,300 m asl.
See list in the taxobox
This species and its close relatives is believed to have originated from southern Asia based on their current distribution. Their origin may lie from a common ancestor when Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan were part of Sundaland.
It is found in various types of forest habitats as well as open areas near forests. It may stray into nearby agricultural areas. It digs into the ground and inhabits dens near rocky areas, where it lives in small groups. It has a gestation period of 110 days and a litter size of two or three. The species may give birth to two litters annually. Their habitat is terrestrial where they are living in the hole of tree barks or roots. It also living in a burrow, from which a network of trails penetrate into surrounding habitat. It can be found in all forest types up to 1500m.
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Wikipedia