Trichys fasciculata

1.

Long-tailed Porcupine

Trichys fasciculata

French: Porc-épic a longue queue / German: Pinselstachler / Spanish: Puercoespin de cola larga

Other common names: Asian Long-tailed Porcupine

Taxonomy. Hystrix fasciculata Shaw, 1801,

“Malacca.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. W Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 350-480 mm, tail 175-235 mm, ear 28-32 mm, hindfoot 61-67 mm; weight 1.5-2.2 kg.

The Long-tailed Porcupine is the least specialized of the Old World porcupines. Tail is long, brown, and scaly with soft spines, giving it a superficial resemblance to members of the genus Rattus (Muridae). Dorsum varies from blackish to light brown. Head, neck, and shoulders are somewhat lighter in color than posterior region of back. Ventrum is whitish or sometimes very light brown. Body is covered with short stiletto-like spikes and individual bristle-like spines in between. Underfur is woolly. Dorsal spines of Long-tailed Porcupines are short and flattened, whitish at bases and dark brown toward tips. Longest spines on adults are 33-46 mm; longesttactile bristles are 60-80 mm. Tactile bristles have same dark color as spines, with white bases 10-30 mm in length. Soft, flexible bristles on head have essentially same form as larger spines on back. Skull has well-marked postorbital processes. Broad forefeet have four well-developed digits, each with thick claw. Long tail (more than 35% of head-body length including brush, ¢.50% without brush) ends with brush of light colored, flattened bristles that do not bristle or rattle when shaken. Length oftail bristles depends greatly on wear; on study skins, largest tail bristles are 55-220 mm. Bristles are parallel-sided, 1-1 mm broad and 0-3 mm thick. Part or all of tail is often missing from specimens, suggesting that it breaks easily from body. One suggestion is that light-colored brush tail distracts predators from the head; when a Long-tailed Porcupine is seized,tail easily breaks off, allowing escape. Diploid number is 2n = 46.

Habitat. [Lowland forest and secondary and degraded habitats and cultivated areas. Long-tailed Porcupines occur in lowland and submontane localities throughout Borneo, reaching elevations of 1220 m on Kinabalu and in the Kelabit uplands. It is semicommensal with humans. In a survey of primary lowland rainforest, old and young secondary forest, and open areas in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, the Long-tailed Porcupine was one of only four species detected only in primary forest.

Food and Feeding. The Long-tailed Porcupine is often seen feeding on the ground where it consumesfallen tree seeds and bamboo shoots. It also climbs well and forages from tops oftrees and shrubs. It is reported to destroy pineapples in some areas.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. The Long-tailed Porcupine is active mainly at night. It sleeps during the day in an underground burrow. It is primarily terrestrial but is an agile climber.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Longtailed Porcupine has been extinct from Bukit Soeharto Grand Forest Park in Borneo (East Kalimantan) since 1992.

Bibliography. Aplin & Lunde (2008b), Corbet & Hill (1992), Francis (2008), Medway & Harrisson (1963), Nowak (1999a), Rustam et al. (2011), Storch (1990), van Weers (1976, 1993), Woods (1984), Woods & Kilpatrick (2005).