Mexican Porcupine

Coendou mexicanus

Very rareMammal

Safety note: Bites when cornered — do not handle.

The Mexican Porcupine is a small, arboreal porcupine of tropical forests in Mexico and Central America with a prehensile tail for gripping branches. It is largely nocturnal and spends most of its life in trees, descending to the ground only rarely. Unlike the North American porcupine, the Mexican porcupine does not have a thick spiny coat—its quills are shorter and more mixed with regular hairs.

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical forests of Mexico and Central America

Diet

Fruit, leaves, bark, and flowers

How common

Very rare

Not certain it is a Mexican Porcupine? What animal is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.