Asiatic Brush-tailed Porcupine Skull
$121.00
Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine skull replica is 4.2 x 2.1 x 1.6 in. The Atherurus macrourus skull is a museum-quality polyurethane cast from CAS specimen.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine skull replica measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 1.6 inches. The Atherurus macrourus skull is a museum-quality polyurethane cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.
Asiatic brush-tailed porcupines populate in Southeast Asia. They inhabit Cambodia, Indonesia, Laso, the Malaysian Peninsula and Malacca. They also live in India, Hupei, Hainan and South Central China.
These rodents look rat-like and quite slender. Spines cover almost their entire body, though soft quills cover the underparts, head, and legs. Fur coloration on the upper back ranges from black-brown to grey-brown.
They have short, stout limbs and short, rounded ears. Their eyes and ears are quite small. Individual hairs feature white tips, while the underside fur looks dirty white to light brown.
The roundish spines look flattened and stiletto-like with fluted grooves on the upper surface. Each thick, scaly bristle contains a chain of flattened disks that rattle when they shake, which deters predators.
These nocturnal herbivores consume a varied plant-based diet. They eat roots, tubers, fruits, bark, and the cambium layer of trees. They regularly raid agricultural areas for crops like cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, peanuts and maize.
They also consume pineapples, mangoes, sugarcane and various wild grains. Occasionally, they eat insects or carrion and chew on bones for minerals.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Hystricidae
- Genus: Atherurus
- Species: A. macrourus
- Binomial name: Atherurus macrourus
- Conservation Status: Least Concern
Exhibiting the American pika skull alongside the Eastern cottontail rabbit skull replica, the American marten skull replica and the Eastern deer mouse skull replica provides an exceptional demonstration of dental structures.
Additional information
| Weight | 3.6 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 4.2 × 2.1 × 1.6 in |
| World Porcupine Day - July 2nd | July 2nd is World Porcupine Day. These herbivore mammals are highly recognizable by their coat of needle-like quills that remind predators not to mess with them! The sharp quills detach easily when touched but are replaced quickly after losing them. A single animal may have 30,000 or more quills! |
