Crested Porcupines Research Articles

Paslahepevirus balayani (Hepatitis E Virus) in Italian Nonungulate Wildlife: Molecular Detection and Characterization of an Isolate from a Crested Porcupine (Hystrix cristata).

Paslahepevirus balayani (hepatitis E virus [HEV]) is the causative agent of hepatitis E, a worldwide zoonosis involving a wide range of hosts among domestic and wild animals. This species is characterized by a great genomic heterogeneity and includes eight genotypes, HEV-1 to HEV-8. The HEV-3 genotype is one of the most common types circulating in Italy in humans and Suidae. Although domestic and wild Sus scrofa and deer (Cervidae) are recognized as the main reservoirs of HEV, several other wild species are potential carriers. A total of 228 liver samples were collected from nonungulate wild animals, found dead, in the framework of the regional passive surveillance program in Umbria and Marche regions (central Italy) during 2018-20. These were tested using real-time reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) for detection of RNA of HEV-1 to HEV-4 and confirmed by nested RT-PCR assay. One of the 11 samples collected from crested porcupines (Hystrix cristata) tested positive for the presence of HEV RNA; all other samples were negative. Sequence analysis based on the full-length genome revealed that this isolate, 49434/UM/2018 (accession no. OL658617), belongs to the HEV-3e subtype. These findings suggest a potential role of crested porcupines as a carrier of HEV infection.

Hematological and Serum Biochemistry Values in Free-Ranging Crested Porcupine.

The crested porcupine is a widespread naturalized Italian rodent of African origin; nevertheless, very little information on the population abundance and its health status is available. In this study, the hematological and serum chemistry profile of 10 free-ranging captured crested porcupines was established for the first time. The mean hematological values resulted: 5.7 SD 0.4 M/μL for red blood cells; 13.6 SD 0.8 g/dL for hemoglobin; 77.3 SD 5.7 fL for mean corpuscular volume and 30.1 SD 4.7 g/dL for mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; 14.4 SD 7.2 K/μL for white blood cells; and 557.0 SD 469.9 K/μL for platelets. The mean urea and creatinine values resulted with 19.8 SD 8.3 mg/dL and 1.6 SD 3.0 mg/dL, respectively. The mean value of total protein was 6.7 SD 1.0 g/dL, with values of albumin higher than globulins. The mean activity of creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and alkaline phosphatase was 927.3 SD 607.6 U/L, 199.2 SD 70.8 U/L, 16.9 SD 13.7 U/L, and 256 SD 75.8 U/L, respectively. Highest values of alkaline phosphatase were recorded in two porcupines presenting severe injuries with clear signs of infection. These preliminary results may be a helpful tool in order to assess porcupine health status.

Timing of reproduction and paternal cares in the crested porcupine

Old World porcupines are elusive, nocturnal rodents who pair for life, exhibiting frequent socio-sexual behaviour also outside the breeding period. Only anecdotal observations on captive individuals are available on the reproductive behaviour of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata, a Sub-Saharan and North African large rodent probably introduced to Italy over 1500 years ago. Our work reports the first data on reproductive biology and paternal behaviour of free-living crested porcupines in Europe. A total of 44 litters was recorded at 4 den systems, over 3 years: 59% singletons, 32% twins, 9% triplets. Reproduction occurs throughout the year, but two significant birth peaks have been detected on February and October. The reproductive peak in October falls in the period of short rains in Sub-Saharan Africa, and coincides with the start of Autumn rains in Italy, thus preceding the vegetation regrowth in both areas, but especially in Africa. On the other hand, porcupines are unusual, as their “spring” peak of births in Central Italy falls actually in mid-winter (i.e. February), when snowfalls and the coldest temperatures tend to occur. By contrast, births in February anticipate the long rains in Sub-Saharan Africa by c. 30 days, when cubs leave the natal den for the first time and vegetation starts sprouting. Haphazard observations of cubs over 12 years (N=72) have confirmed this pattern. Both partners (N=2 radio-tagged pairs) share parental duties: alternation of cub guarding in den occurs in the first two months of life, i.e. when quills are still soft and relatively short, thus making cubs an easy prey for small and mesocarnivores.

Detection of Bartonella spp. in wild carnivores, hyraxes, hedgehog and rodents from Israel.

Bartonella infection was explored in wild animals from Israel. Golden jackals (Canis aureus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis), southern white-breasted hedgehogs (Erinaceus concolor), social voles (Microtus socialis), Tristram's jirds (Meriones tristrami), Cairo spiny mice (Acomys cahirinus), house mice (Mus musculus) and Indian crested porcupines (Hystrix indica) were sampled and screened by molecular and isolation methods. Bartonella-DNA was detected in 46 animals: 9/70 (13%) golden jackals, 2/11 (18%) red foxes, 3/35 (9%) rock hyraxes, 1/3 (33%) southern white-breasted hedgehogs, 5/57 (9%) Cairo spiny mice, 25/43 (58%) Tristram's jirds and 1/6 (16%) house mice. Bartonella rochalimae and B. rochalimae-like were widespread among jackals, foxes, hyraxes and jirds. This report represents the first detection of this zoonotic Bartonella sp. in rock hyraxes and golden jackals. Moreover, DNA of Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, Bartonella acomydis, Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii and other uncharacterized genotypes were identified. Three different Bartonella strains were isolated from Tristram's jirds, and several genotypes were molecularly detected from these animals. Furthermore, this study reports the first detection of Bartonella infection in a southern hedgehog. Our study indicates that infection with zoonotic and other Bartonella species is widespread among wild animals and stresses their potential threat to public health.

Self‐defence may not be enough: moonlight avoidance in a large, spiny rodent

AbstractPredation avoidance is one of the main factors determining nocturnal activity of mammals, which has been shaped by evolution in relation to local environmental variables. The nocturnal activity of 16 female and 11 male radio‐tagged adult crested porcupines Hystrix cristata was studied in four study sites of Southern Tuscany (Central Italy), with different environmental features. The activity patterns of porcupines, monitored for 16–23 h per week per individual, were correlated to lunar phases, in open/closed habitat types, throughout the year. The median duration of nocturnal activity was 7 h and 38 min, with no significant seasonal variation. Moonlight avoidance was shown in all our study sites, throughout the year, especially in open habitats. Full moon, irrespective of its visibility, always inhibited activity of this large rodent. Old World porcupines originated 5 million years ago in the forests of Asia and Africa, where a number of large carnivores must have preyed – and still prey – on them. Most likely, moonlight avoidance evolved as an antipredatory behaviour. In areas with no or little predation risk for example our study sites, moonlight avoidance could have been kept in the repertoire of porcupines because of its non‐maladaptive nature.

Sexual size monomorphism in the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata)

Amongst mammals, female-biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is rare and it occurs mostly in species where reduced male intrasexual competition is present. Reverse SSD has been reported for Old World porcupines Hystrix spp. We compared weight and six metric body measurements of 40 male and 42 female crested porcupines from Southern Tuscany, Italy. No significant difference was observed between sexes. The monogamous mating system of porcupines, sharing parental care, together with no evidence of territoriality, militate against previous claims of SSD presence, probably due to small sample size and inappropriate statistical analyses.

An Application of Advanced Spatio-Temporal Formalisms to Behavioural Ecology

There is great potential for the development of many new applications using data on mobile objects and mobile regions. To promote these kinds of applications advanced data management techniques for the representation and analysis of mobility-related data are needed. Together with application experts (behavioural ecologists), we investigate how two novel data management approaches may help. We focus on a case study concerning the analysis of fauna behaviour, in particular crested porcupines, which represents a typical example of mobile object monitoring. The first technique we experiment with is a recently developed conceptual spatio-temporal data modelling approach, MADS. This is used to model the schema of the database suited to our case study. Relying on this first outcome a subset of the problem is represented in the logical language MuTACLP. This allows us to formalise and solve the queries which enable the behavioural ecologists to derive crested porcupines behaviour from the raw data on animal movements. Finally, we investigate the support from a commercial Geographic Information System (GIS) for the analysis of spatio-temporal data. We present a way to integrate MuTACLP and a GIS, combining the advantages of GIS technology and the expressive power of MuTACLP.

Microhabitat to landscape impacts: crested porcupine digs in the Negev Desert highlands

Indian crested porcupines (Hystrix indica) are adaptable, generalist herbivores with wide environmental tolerances and a large geographic range. In the arid Negev Desert highlands of southern Israel, porcupines excavate and consume subterranean organs of 18 species of geophytes and hemicryptophytes in a variety of habitats. Their foraging generates a network of direct and indirect impacts on ecological processes. Porcupine digs varied in size according to depth of forage and substrate, and new digs averaged about 8 cm in depth, and 400 cm2and 940 cm3in surface area and volume, respectively. Digging rates also differed among habitats. In hilly watersheds, highest digging rates were in soil belts supporting the greatest cover of shrubs and geophytes. Dig densities peaked at > -031 dig m−2, impacting up to 4% of soil surfaces. Digs are temporary soil pockets (longevities of < -032 to > -0310 years) that trap soil, water, organic matter, and seeds. As highly productive microhabitats compared to surrounding soil matrix, they promote the germination and growth of annual plants including some porcupine forage species. Loose soil excavated by porcupines enhances soil erosion and transport, and may substantially enhance ecosystem flows of water, soil, and nutrients. Porcupine digging may help to maintain bare rock outcrops in Negev watersheds, thereby promoting large runoff flows that produce mesic patches and plant habitats. Runoff dynamics have greatly influenced past and present human exploitation of Negev landscapes. Recent experiments indicate that porcupine digs have important properties as small-scale landscape disturbances, and as sources and sinks of critical environmental resources. Additional research is needed to better define and predict porcupine digging impacts at several ecological levels, and as a basis for realistic management of Negev habitats and landscapes.

Temporal activity patterns of crested porcupines Hystrix cristata

The activity of radiotagged adult crested porcupines Hystrix cristata L., 1758, was studied in a rural hilly area of Central Italy, from July 1990 to June 1991. Three males and one female were monitored every 15 minutes for 18–24 hours/individual/week, and their activity patterns were correlated to ambient temperature, precipitation and lunar phases. Three individuals, out of the four monitored, showed a fall of activity in the beginning of the cold season, but generally porcupines appeared adapted to a wide spectrum of temperatures. The mean duration of nocturnal and crepuscular activity was 9 h 22'±42', showing little variation throughout the year. In the cold months, i.e. when nights are relatively longer, porcupines usually left their burrows after sunset and came back some hours before sunrise. In the warm season they left their burrows at sunset, or shortly before, and returned at sunrise, or shortly after. Overall diurnal activity was scarce (2 h 11' ± 1 h 30'), but in spring it increased to over 40% of the diel activity (3 h 22' ± 3 h). Moonlight avoidance was slight. Precipitation did not seem to influence the activity of porcupines.

Foraging Time and the Northern Range Limits of Indian Crested Porcupines (Hystrix indica Kerr)

From nocturnal activity durations of free-ranging animals and food intake rates of captive subjects, we predict that Indian crested porcupines (Hystrix indica Kerr) will not occur at latitudes where minimal night duration is less than 7 h. Available range records support that hypothesis. They indicate that the most northern populations of the species occur in the Aralo-Caspian region of the U.S.S.R. at about 44?N, where night duration during the summer solstice is 7.3 h. To exist north of this postulated 'fitness boundary', crested porcupines would be forced to forage during daylight hours or reduce food intake. Presumably the costs associated with either of these alternatives would not promote fitness. The northern species range limits do not coincide with broad bioclimatic or vegetation boundaries.

Influence of Season and Moonlight on Temporal-Activity Patterns of Indian Crested Porcupines (Hystrix indica)

During a 1-year period, onset and termination of nocturnal surface activity were monitored in as many as eight free-ranging Indian crested porcupines ( Hystrix indica ) in the Negev desert highlands of southern Israel by radio-location telemetry. Porcupines optimized winter (October–March) activity for minimal exposure to moonlight, but moonlight avoidance waned thereafter and disappeared by late summer (August–September). Rain curtailed activity, but there was no correlation between duration of activity and minimum near-ground temperatures. Individual variation in activity was large in all seasons. Duration of activity and the proportions of dark and nights hours used increased from winter to late summer. Adult-sized animals (14.1 ± 3.0 kg body mass) averaged 7.0 ± 0.4 h surface activity year-round, but this peaked at 9.2 ± 1.3 h in late summer when nearly all night hours were used. In winter, activity averaged 6.7 ± 0.8 h and porcupines were active for longer periods on dark nights than on moonlit nights. Seasonal changes in duration of activity (and moonlight exposure) may have been caused by variations in available dark hours relative to surface-activity requirements or to food-density fluctuations, but they did not clearly correspond to key stages of porcupine reproduction.

Seasonal Energy Requirements and Water Intakes of Indian Crested Porcupines (Hystrix indica) in Captivity

Four adult male Indian crested porcupines (Hystrix indica), held in covered outdoor enclosures in the Negev Desert of southern Israel, were offered ad lib. water and a dry rodent ration (16.5% protein; 9% fibre; 19.2 kJ/g dry matter) at four nutritional planes (100%, 80%, 60%, and 40% of ad lib. intake) during consecutive 10-day feeding trials in summer (July–August) and winter (January-February). Water intakes were significantly higher in summer (137 ± 61 ml kg−1 day−1X̄ ± SD) than winter (53 ± 7 ml kg−1 day−1). There were no seasonal differences in ad lib. food intake, in dry matter (DM) digestibility (annual X̄ = 76.5%), or in gross energy digestibility (80.9%). Moreover, maintenance energy requirements (estimated from body mass changes) were similar in both seasons, and averaged 220 kJ kg−1 day−1 (445 kJ kg−0.75 day−1), or 1.5 × estimated basal metabolic rate (BMR). These results, supported by limited data from free-ranging H. indica, indicate that Hystrix porcupines are capable of substantial formation and mobilization of fat reserves. This is a useful adaptation in seasonally fluctuating arid environments. Large inverse changes in the proportional composition of body water and body solids are likely such that total body mass is an inadequate index to body condition.