Southern African Porcupine

Activity patterns. Cape Porcupines are nocturnal. They spend their days at rest in shelters in rock crevices, caves, or abandoned burrows of Aardvarks (Orycteropus afer), which they modify to suit their needs with their front claws. They may excavate their own holes or use termite mounds as dens. Cape Porcupines often bring bones into their shelters. They forage alone at night, although pairs forage near one another, spending less than 25 % of their active periods more than 400 m apart and spending more than 50 % of active time within 200 m of one another. A pair of Cape Porcupines foraging in proximity of one other could be mate guarding because it is not apparent that they cooperate in foraging or anti-predator defense. When alarmed, defensive action is to raise quills and shake the rattle-quills. If a threat does not subside, a Cape Porcupine might attack by backing rapidly toward the threat, stabbing it with long defensive quills that detach easily from skin.