Chester Zoo porcupines

bongorob

bongorob

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Does anyone know which species Chester have?

The label says H.cristata but they came from Birmingham who according to ISIS hold H.africaeaustralis. ISIS list this species for the Chester pair.

All crested porcupines look alike to me, so on the rare occasion that I actually see one at Chester I have no idea what I'm looking at.

I assume that the labelling is incorrect but it would be nice to know for sure.
 
bongorob said:
Does anyone know which species Chester have?

The label says H.cristata but they came from Birmingham who according to ISIS hold H.africaeaustralis. ISIS list this species for the Chester pair.

All crested porcupines look alike to me, so on the rare occasion that I actually see one at Chester I have no idea what I'm looking at.

I assume that the labelling is incorrect but it would be nice to know for sure.
Click to expand...
I believe they have just used the old label as most people wouldn`t know the difference any way,and don`t ask me how you tell the diffference because i`ve no idea.
 
Apparently the South African Crested Porcupine is larger than the North African Crested Porcupine and has larger and heavier quills, and a shorter tail.
 
bongorob said:
Apparently the South African Crested Porcupine is larger than the North African Crested Porcupine and has larger and heavier quills, and a shorter tail.
Click to expand...
Well i will let you have the honour of checking the length of the tail first as i`m partial to my legs been free of Porcupine Quills.
 
bongorob said:
Does anyone know which species Chester have?

The label says H.cristata but they came from Birmingham who according to ISIS hold H.africaeaustralis. ISIS list this species for the Chester pair.

All crested porcupines look alike to me, so on the rare occasion that I actually see one at Chester I have no idea what I'm looking at.

I assume that the labelling is incorrect but it would be nice to know for sure.
Click to expand...

Despite what most signage, zoos and ISIS says most captive crested porkies in Europe are the Southern africaeaustralis . A study done by the BIAZA Rodent TAG looked at all suspected cristata . Apparently one can tell by the head profile, and that most were incorrectly identified.
 
tetrapod said:
Despite what most signage, zoos and ISIS says most captive crested porkies in Europe are the Southern africaeaustralis . A study done by the BIAZA Rodent TAG looked at all suspected cristata . Apparently one can tell by the head profile, and that most were incorrectly identified.
Click to expand...

It is a real shame misidentification still occurs despite yonkers years of curatorial duties and the constant bombardement with the notion ... accurate data, accurate record-keeping ... will ISIS/ZIMS ever set us free and assist the identifiers?
 
I know this is an old thread but I have just done some research into both these porc's, trying to find out the difference is very difficult and for a "True" definition it would be a DNA test to find out as the two often meet and breed.
The Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis occurs throughout the Southern
African sub Sahara where they become sympatric with the Crested porcupine H.
cristata.
Both are "African Crested Porcupines" as a common name wich is why there is so much dificulty telling either apart but studys also show that Hystrix is characterized by the inflated skull, in which the nasal chamber is often considerably larger than the brain-case.
 
Chester's are 'officially' Cape (africaeaustralis), but it must be said that most Hystrix in Europe are quite possibly (or even are likely to be) hybridised to some degree (Pilsen's single H. pumila is the only one I'd trust without reservation!).

They are generally managed as either africaeaustralis, cristata or indica (sometimes labelled leucura) but there is a element of trust involved in those IDs! :D
 
I would say that most in the UK are now Cape Crested or a mix of both, a certain infamous zoo-owner of a collection in cumbria hybridised both races and then distributed them to other collections in his wisdom!! (or should I say lack of experience!!) This has probably happened elsewhere also, I know that for some time Marwell`s single pair (not in the Giraffe House) were one of each race, but luciky they never bred. Most zoos probably don`t realise exactly what race they have got without actual DNA proof as mentioned by others. There maybe a slight colour difference too , I believe the nominate race is very slightly darker but it is not particularly obvious without having one next to the other to compare.
 
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