Erethizon dorsata (Linnaeus 1758)

Hystrix dorsata Linnaeus 1758, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., Vol. 1: 57.

Type Locality: E Canada (= Quebec Prov.).

Vernacular Names: North American Porcupine.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. dorsata Linnaeus 1758

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. bruneri Swenk 1916

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. couesi Mearns 1897

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. epixanthus Brandt 1835

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. myops Merriam 1900

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. nigrescens Allen 1903

Subspecies Erethizon dorsata subsp. picinum Bangs 1900

Distribution: C Alaska (USA) to S Hudson Bay and Labrador (Canada), south to E Tennessee, C Iowa, and C Texas (USA), N Coahuila, Chihuahua, and Sonora (Mexico), and S California (USA).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc). Common.

Discussion: Reviewed by Miller and Kellogg (1955:631), who restricted the type locality; also see Anderson and Rand (1943). Includes couesi (see review by Woods, 1973). Karyotype has 2n=42 and FN=78 (George and Weir, 1974).