Erethizon Research Articles

Three Mammals New to the Pleistocene Fauna of Florida, and a Reconsideration of Five Earlier Records

Mormoops megalophylla (Peters), Conepatus leuconotus (Lichtenstein) and Felis pardalis Linn. are reported from Pleistocene deposits in Florida. Molossides floridanus G. M. Allen is transferred to the genus Eumops . The material upon which the reports of Erethizon dorsatum (Linn.), Mammuthus primigenius (Blumenbach) and Cervus canadensis Erxleben are founded is not adequate to justify inclusion of these species in the Pleistocene fauna of Florida. The record of Ovibovinae in the Pleistocene fauna of Florida is spurious.

Erethizon Dorsatum in Coahuila, Mexico

Erethizon Dorsatum in Coahuila, Mexico

Distribution of Porcupine in Upper Michigan

In 1954 an investigation of the distribution and ecology of the Canadian porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum ) was initiated in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In studying distribution, data were collected by (1) summer census of trees damaged by winter feeding of porcupines and (2) a survey, at the Straits of Mackinac deer checking station on November 19 and 20, 1955, of deer hunters who had killed or seen porcupines. The summer damage census was conducted in Gogebic, Ontonagon and Iron Counties at the western end of the Upper Peninsula. Trees damaged by porcupines were tallied per hour of survey time to give a damage index used to compare areas. The survey …

Porcupine Behavior in the Desert-Shrub Type of Arizona

Encounters with the porcupine ( Erethizon dorsatum ) under treeless desert conditions are always interesting. Pinon-juniper woodland and ponderosa pine forests are its typical habitats in the Southwest (Taylor, Univ. Ariz. Biol. Sci. Bull. 3, 1935). There are few known observations for the lower and drier vegetative types. Published records are based on encounters at Bonita, Aravaipa Canyon, and the Silver Bell road in Arizona. All these localities are in the desert type and more than 10 miles from the nearest coniferous timber (Taylor, op. cit .). Monson (Jour. Mamm. 29: 182, 1948) recorded five observations from the Havasu Lake Wildlife Refuge about 35 miles from the higher pinon-juniper woodland. He also …

Unusual Sex Behavior of a Male Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum epixanthum

A large porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum epixanthum) had been captured in the middle of June, 1955, and in his 1½ months in captivity had become relatively tame. He weighed approximately 35 pounds. In the last week of July, 1955, a young female was captured that weighed approximately 10 to 15 pounds. The male porcupine was removed from his cage by inducement of a piece of dried French toast and taken to the far corner of the building where he remained eating the toast. This was ordinarily done every day so I could clean his cage. The female was then placed in his cage and I waited for the male porcupine to finish his toast so he could be returned to his cage where a pan of fresh food would be waiting. This procedure of cleaning the cage and placing of fresh food in his cage at this time had...

An X-ray study of α-keratin. II. Diffractometer measurements of the complete diffraction pattern of Canadian porcupine quill

An X-ray study of α-keratin. II. Diffractometer measurements of the complete diffraction pattern of Canadian porcupine quill

Removal of Foreign Quills by Porcupines

Are porcupines ( Erethizon dorsatum ) immune to the effects of the quills from another, or do they too experience the discomforts that any other mammal does when quilled? Over a period of years, observations and experiences with the porcupine colony at the Vivarium of the University of Buffalo, have supplied information on this question. The quill-studded club-like tail of a porcupine is very muscular, and with a strong direct blow it can drive several, to many very sharp quills as much as a half-inch or more into the body of its victim. When a quill has been buried in the victim's muscles, the movements of the muscles cause their fibers to catch against or engage the tips of the surface scales on the quill, and the contraction of the muscle fibers in turn draws the quill further into the victim's body tissues. Such a migratory quill or quill fragment may travel at the rate of nearly an inch per day (Shadle, Jour. Mamm., 28: 180–181, 1947), (Shadle and Po-Chedley, Jour. Mamm., 30: 172–173, 1949). The reactions of a mammal that has been quilled by a porcupine vary considerably according to several factors, some of which are: (a) the number of quills involved in the quilling, (b) the location of the area affected and the degree of sensitivity of the region involved, (c) the depth to which the quills penetrated the area, (d) the ability of the animal to endure pain and discomfort, (e) the excitability of the victim, (f) the length of time that the quills have been buried in the tissues, …

A Record of the Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) from Sonora, Mexico

A Record of the Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) from Sonora, Mexico

General Notes

Journal Article Sexual Maturity and First Recorded Copulation of a 16-Month Male Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum Get access Albert R. Shadle Albert R. Shadle The Vivarium, Biology Dept., University of Buffalo, Buffalo 14, New York Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Mammalogy, Volume 33, Issue 2, May 1952, Pages 239–241, https://doi.org/10.2307/1375933 Published: 01 May 1952 Article history Received: 15 July 1951 Published: 01 May 1952

Laboratory Copulations and Gestations of Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

Laboratory Copulations and Gestations of Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

PORCUPINES, PALEOGEOGRAPHY, AND PARALLELISM

One of the vexing problems of geographic distribution is the explanation of why one suborder of rodents, the Hystricomorpha, is characteristic of South America, the southern parts of Eurasia, and Africa, but does not seem ever to have been present in North America until very recent times. Few authors have doubted that the Hystricomorpha represent a natural group with a common ancestry. In order to explain this distribution, it has been necessary to invoke continental drift, land bridges, trans-oceanic floating, or other hypotheses which seem rather dubious to many students. An attempt will be made to show that an alternative interpretation, involving only more -orthodox and established migration routes, is at least as well supported by the available evidence. The Hystricomorpha include a basic group of recent-forms, together with their fossil relatives, which are almost universaly considered to be closely related. This group includes numerous South American rodents (porcupines, guinea pigs, chinchillas, agoutis, pacas, vizcachas, capybaras, etc.); our North American porcupine (Erethizon); the African, South Asiatic, and southern European porcupines (Hystricidae); and the African Petromyidae and Thryonomyidae. In addition, a number of other families, restricted to Africa, whose correct taxonomic position is very uncertain, are often placed here (Bathyergidae, Ctenodactylidae, Pedetidae and Anomaluridae).

Accessory corpora lutea, lutein cell origin, and the ovarian cycle in the Canadian porcupine

Accessory corpora lutea, lutein cell origin, and the ovarian cycle in the Canadian porcupine

Occurrence of a yellow-haired specimen of the eastern porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum L.) in Ontario

Occurrence of a yellow-haired specimen of the eastern porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum L.) in Ontario

Presence of a Δ5-Unsaturated Sterol Derivative in the Medulla Cells of Keratin Fibres

KERATIN differs from other scleroproteins in containing a relatively high percentage of sulphur, and it is known that the sensitivity of wool and hair to attack by alkali and alkaline reducing agents results from fission of the cystine disulphide linkages, followed, under more drastic conditions of treatment, by hydrolysis of peptide linkages1,2. The medulla of sheep wool and porcupine quill, however, is devoid of cystine3, while the medulla cells of goat hair resist hydrolysis by 4N sodium hydroxide at room temperature, and contain little, if any, sulphur4. This observation has been extended to hair from several carnivores and rodents5,6, and would appear to be a general property of medullary keratin. The X-ray diffraction pattern of medulla cells dissected from Canadian porcupine quill reveals the presence in the cells of?-keratin, together with unidentified material7. On X-ray examination, medulla cells isolated from hair by treatment with cold sodium hydroxide showed no spacing corresponding to?-keratin ; but a strong meridional arc was found, identical with that from the non-protein constituent of porcupine quill medulla cells7.

The extrusive growth and attrition of the incisor teeth of Erethizon dorsatum

The extrusive growth and attrition of the incisor teeth of Erethizon dorsatum

VARIATION IN THE PORCUPINE (GENUS ERETHIZON) IN CANADA

The porcupines of Canada (genus Erethizon) have usually been referred to two distinct species. A survey of material in the National Museum of Canada shows that they actually represent but one species, Erethizon dorsatum, with five geographical races, which are summarized in this paper. Each form is differentiated by a mosaic of external and internal characters, some of which frequently occur in other forms. There is considerable individual variation. Some overlapping of characters through individual variation occurs in widely separated populations. Where two rather distinct subspecies meet, intergrades occur, but intergradations in skull characters do not always occur in the same geographical area as intergradations of pelage characters.

Mosquito Vectors and Larval Development of Dipetalonema arbuta Highby (Nematoda) from the Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum

The porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum (L.) in Minnesota is commonly parasitized with Dipetalonena arbuta Highby, 1943 in its peritoneal cavity and Dirofilaria spinosa Canavan, 1929 in its dorsal subcutaneous connective tissue. These worms were previously reported from this host by Boulenger (1920), Canavan (1929 and 1931) and Jellison (1933). I examined 28 porcupines from northern Minnesota and found 10 infected with both species, 2 with D. spinosa only, 10 with Dipetalonema arbuta only, and 6 with no filarioids. Microfilariae of these filarioids may be found in the infected porcupine's blood, both peripheral and central, the pericardial, pleural and peritoneal fluids, the urine, the lungs and liver. The microfilariae of D. arbuta were recovered also from the mixed amniotic fluid and blood of a fetus removed from an infected porcupine. Microfilaria arbuta may be distinguished from Mf. spinosa in both wet and dry preparations by three characters:-Mf. arbuta has a cephalic space which is longer than its width while that of Mf. spinosa is shorter than its width; the terminal nuclei at the posterior end of the nuclear column of Mf. arbuta present a more scattered appearance than the more compact arrangement seen in Mf. spinosa; and in Mf. arbuta an Innen K6rper is present, but none is apparent in Mf. spinosa. Mf. arbuta was described in detail by Highby (1943).

The prenatal development of the pancreatic and extra‐hepatic ducts in the Canadian porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

The Anatomical RecordVolume 81, Issue 2 p. 145-161 Article The prenatal development of the pancreatic and extra-hepatic ducts in the Canadian porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) Parke H. Struthers, Parke H. Struthers Department of Zoology, Syracuse University, New YorkSearch for more papers by this author Parke H. Struthers, Parke H. Struthers Department of Zoology, Syracuse University, New YorkSearch for more papers by this author First published: October 1941 https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.1090810202AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Volume81, Issue2October 1941Pages 145-161 RelatedInformation

Porcupine Louse Infesting the Monkey

A collection of lice made from this animal consisting of 7 males, 7 females and 4 immature specimens after clearing the material has been identified as Eutrichophilus setosus (Giebel) Mjoberg, the porcupine louse. This is a common parasite on the Canada porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, and has been reported from Lake and St. Louis Counties of Minnesota by Jellison (1931). A cage of porcupines was maintained in the gardens near the monkeys and is the probable source of this infestation. Six species of Mallophaga that have been found on various primates are recorded by Stiles (1929) but these were believed to be on their normal hosts. The degree of infestation, especially of immature specimens, found in this instance indicates that the porcupine louse was well established on its new host.

The prenatal skull of the Canadian porcupine (Erethizon dorsatus)

AbstractThis study represents the first critical investigation on the development of the embryonic skull of the porcupine. A complete series of stages makes it possible to trace the developing chondrocranium from its first formation in precartilage to its later transformation into cartilage bone. Concurrent with this growth is the investment of the cartilaginous cranium by membrane bone.The very primitive nature of the chondrocranium offers an excellent opportunity to discuss the existing problems of the embryonic skull from a new angle. Evidence is presented in support of the assumption that the ala temporalis is the homologue of the cynodont epipterygoid. The lamina parietalis develops from a single chondrifying center, thus producing a different arrangement of parietal elements from that found in most mammals. New evidence as to the relationship of the dens epistrophei and basal plate is presented. The position of the internal carotid artery on entering the cranium is different from the condition found in most mammals and throws new light on the interpretation of surrounding structures. The presence of a structure comparable with the crista longitudinalis of Lacerta shows close affinity to the solum nasi of more primitive forms.The great specialization of the face is seen in the early and rapid growth of the membrane bones. The chondrocranium is long persistent and cartilage bone appears late in embryonic life.