Coendou bicolor Tschudi 1844

Coendou bicolor Tschudi 1844, Fauna Peruana: 186.

Type Locality: Peru, Junín Debt., between Tulumayo and Chanchamayo Rivers.

Vernacular Names: Bicolored-spined Porcupine.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Coendou bicolor subsp. bicolor Tschudi 1844

Subspecies Coendou bicolor subsp. quichua Thomas 1899

Subspecies Coendou bicolor subsp. richardsoni Allen 1913

Subspecies Coendou bicolor subsp. simonsi Thomas 1902

Distribution: Bolivia, Peru, Andean and W Ecuador, N Colombia, SW Colombia; up to 2,500 m.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc). Locally common.

Discussion: May include rothschildi (Hall, 1981:854), which Corbet and Hill (1991:200) listed as a subspecies of bicolor (see comments under rothschildi). Emmons and Feer (1997:218) and Alberico et al. (1999) considered quichua of the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia to be a distinct species based on small size and shorter tail. Emmons and Feer (1997:218) suggested that richardsoni may be a valid species or allied with rothschildi, whereas Alberico et al. (1999) recognized it as a distinct species. We tentatively retain these three subspecies, awaiting a needed comprehensive review of Coendou .