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Photo of the Month
Common Name: Indian Crested Porcupine
Distribution: Transcaucasus, Asia Minor, Palestine, Arabia to S Kazakhstan and India, Sri Lanka, Tibet.
Diagnosis: Largest rodent in Jordan. Adult specimen can reach a length of up to 1m. Muzzle blunt, and covered with hair up to the lip. Small eyes and ears, round ears covered by hair. Long and well developed vibrissae. Short tail. The body is covered by long sharp spines (quills). The Quills reach up to 400 mm in length on the posterior half of the back. They are creamy white and banded with black (tip creamy white). Quills on base of tail and tail are completely white. Fur colour dark brown and blackish brown on the limbs. Forefeet with four digits, and a strong white claw; hindfeet with five digits. Palms and soles are naked.
Habitat: The Indian Crested Porcupine favours rocky habitats with boulders and large and deep cervices. It lives in a wide variety of habitats ranging from arid to humid Mediterranean. It shelters in wadis of rocky nature and may live in small caves or in constructed burrows. They feed on fleshy vegetation.
Human interaction: Many locals relish the porcupine's meat (Al Nees) as a delicacy and for medicinal purposes. Perhaps this is responsible for the decline of H. Indica populations throughout Jordan
Localities:
Previous records. Aqraba, Ain Lahzha, Fuhis, King Hussein Bridge, Wadi Fidan, Wadi Shoaib , and Dana Biosphere Reserve.
New records. Bergish, Irbid, Jabal Masuda, Jawa, Jordan Valley, Malka, Petra, Wadi Araba, Wadi Al Mujib.
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