New Tree-Dwelling Species of Porcupine Discovered in Brazil: Spiny Mammal at Risk

A new species of tree-dwelling porcupine has been discovered in Brazil. The small, spiny mammal possesses a long tail and thrives north of the Sao Francisco River, one of the important known biodiversity hotspots in the country.

The porcupine itself is named Coendou speratus, which is a combination of its local name "coandu-mirim" and the Latin word "speratus," which means "hope". Unlike other porcupines it lacks long dorsal fur, instead appearing to be completely spikey. Its spines are also unusua; they have brownish-red tips that contrast sharply with the blackish dorsal background color. The new porcupine is also a vegetarian, feeding on immature seeds, green or ripe fruit, palm nuts, bark and leaves. It usually keeps to the upper reaches of the forest canopy, and sleeps in hollowed-out holes in tree trunks during the day.

The species was discovered in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, a location known for its biodiversity. In fact, it's considered to be the fourth most important hotspot for species on the planet. It possesses animals that range from the golden lion tamarin to the red-tailed parrot to the three-toed sloth. In total, it's estimated that the forest plays host to about 2,200 different species--that's five percent of all of the vertebrates on Earth.

With "hope" as a part of its name, the new species is aptly labeled. The area where it lives is rapidly disappearing. Already, the location has lost 98 percent of its natural forest cover. This makes the porcupine especially vulnerable to inbreeding as its habitat is fragmented. In addition, the porcupine is actively hunted by locals; this further increases the creature's risk of extinction.

This latest finding shows that scientists are far from locating all of the species in the area, and how crucial it is to protect such an important hotspot for biodiversity.

"Given the rate of destruction in this area, where 98 percent of the original Northeaster Atlantic Forest has already been destroyed, imagine how many species could have gone extinct before we even knew about them," said Antonio Rossano Mendes Pontes, who helped discover the porcupine, in an interview with News 12 Connecticut.

The details of the new species are published in the journal Zootaxa.

Want to see a photo of the porcupine? Check it out here.