QUILLIE EILISH came from Conservation Ambassadors and is a three-year-old African Crested Porcupine. We had been looking for a cute little female for approximately six months when she showed up on our radar.
It's a true love story, the minute she met our handsome male AJ, she fell in love at first sight! He, in fact, picked her name: we had an online naming contest. The finalists were Quillie Eilish and Prickcilla Presley. AJ picked Quillie immediately... and the rest is history! She has followed him around like a puppy ever since. They have already moved in together! She is very social and chooses to follow him out and be a part of our tours. Come meet them, you won’t regret it!
ORDER: RODENTIA
FAMILY: HYSTRICIDAE
GENUS: HYSTRIX
SPECIES: CRISTATA
Most active during nighttime hours, (nocturnal). They eat plant matter (herbivore) and wood, making them lignivores. They are known to eat bones for the calcium and to keep their incisors sharp. They are natural architects creating complex burrow systems for their families. Their quills are not barbed like other porcupines, and they cannot shoot their quills. They must make contact with their opponent. They are social and monogamous. They reproduce in November to December, are pregnant 112 days, normally producing 1 to 2 babies at a time. The babies quills start to harden within hours of birth and the babies can run almost immediately to escape predators, (precocial). They sexually mature at 2 to 3 years of age.
Threats
Farmers poison them as they are attracted to crops. They are hunted for their meat and quills and in Morocco they are killed in large numbers and used in “traditional medicine” and witchcraft.
Conservation Status
LC - Least Concern