African Brush-tailed Porcupine

Scientific name: Atherurus africanus
Size: 50-80cm long including tail
Lifespan: 15-20 years
Natural range: Gambia, Kenya and Zaire

Housing

• should be housed in an outdoor enclosure with an enclosed top
• enclosure should be as large as possible
• tend to live in small family groups, and can familiar individuals can be kept together
• Accessories: shelter or shed, hideaway, branches, lots of appropriate chews

Food

• mixture of high quality cavy pellet, rodent blocks with some kitten kibble
• offer sweet potato, yams, tubers and/or fresh fruits and veggies once to twice weekly

Breeding

• Maturity: 1 year
• Gestation: 100-110 days
• Litter size: 1-2
• young are born fully developed
• breeding is best achieved in bonded pairs
• should be fully weaned by 7-8 weeks old