Coendou melanurus (Wagner, 1842)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6603219 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6603168 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7347878F-8F3A-3E4E-FAAC-FFC4F6F9F567 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Coendou melanurus |
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17. View Plate 23: Erethizontidae
Black-tailed Porcupine
French: Coendou a queue noire / German: Schwarzschwanz-Greifstachler / Spanish: Puercoespin de cola negra
Other common names: Black-tailed Hairy Dwarf Porcupine
Taxonomy. Cercolabes melanurus Wagner, 1842 ,
“Rio Negro,” Amazonas, Brazil .
Phylogenetic analysis using cytochrome-b sequence data indicates that C. melanurus is the sister taxon to the “ C. vestitus group” including C. vestitus , C. pruinosus , C. ichillus , and likely C. roosmalenorum . Coendou melanurus is sympatric with the larger C. prehensilis . Monotypic.
Distribution. NE Amazonian lowlands N of the Amazon River and E of Orinoco and Rio Negro rivers in E Venezuela, the Guianas, and N Brazil. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 280-380 mm, tail 220-363 mm, ear 7-24 mm, hindfoot 52-75 mm; weight 1.5-2.4 kg. The Black-tailed Porcupine is small and blackish, streaked with yellow. Long emergent dorsal fur is blackish and streaked with long, yellowish-tipped guard hairs that cover bicolored defensive spines. Fur is pale and is thickest on shoulders. Head of the Black-tailed Porcupine is finely grizzled; mystacial vibrissae are slender and fine. Frontal sinuses are seldom inflated, and roof of external auditory meatus has well-developed transverse bony ridge. Tail is relatively long and pitch-black; tail lengths are 80-95% of head-body lengths. Rump is covered with thick yellow defensive spines that may be hidden by fur. Venter is pale gray-brown and frosted with white, and legs and feet are grizzled dark gray-brown or blackish.
Habitat. L.owland rainforest.
Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. The Black-tailed Porcupine is arboreal and nocturnal. It likely uses high forest canopy at least 15-20 m above ground whereit is difficult to detect.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Black-tailed Porcupine may be locally abundant as indicated by large numbers rescued during construction of a hydroelectric dam.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on 7he IUCN Red List (as Sphiggurus melanurus).
Bibliography. Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1997a), Voss (2015), Voss et al. (2013).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
