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EntityQ1223829· pop 75· linked from 764 articles

porcupine

Also known as porcupines

Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predators. The term covers two families of animals, the Old World porcupines in the family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines in the family Erethizontidae. Both families display superficially similar coats of rigid or semirigid quills, which are modified hairs composed of keratin, and belong to the infraorder Hystricognathi within the diverse order Rodentia. The two groups are distinct and are not closely related to each other within the Hystricognathi. The largest species of porcupine is the t

AI overview

Porcupines are large rodents covered with sharp, protective spines called quills that are made of keratin and defend them against predators. There are two distinct families of porcupines—Old World porcupines and New World porcupines—that evolved separately but developed similar quill-covered coats as a defense strategy.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

In the Vinony graph

Within Vinony's link graph, porcupine is referenced by 764 other articles, and connects out to Old World porcupine, New World porcupine and Bristle-spined rat.

Vinony files it under Body plans, Hystricognathi and Porcupines.

Its subject is documented across 73 Wikipedia language editions.

Research

983 papers

Porcupine inhibitors: Novel and emerging anti-cancer therapeutics targeting the Wnt signaling pathway.ReviewPharmacological research · 2021Shah K, Panchal S, Patel BDOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105532
Porcupine inhibition enhances hypertrophic cartilage differentiation.JBMR plus · 2025Killinger M, Szotkowská T, Lusková D et al.DOI: 10.1093/jbmrpl/ziaf048
Porcupine inhibitor CGX1321 alleviates heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in mice by blocking WNT signaling.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2023Wu H, Tang LX, Wang XM et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41401-022-01025-y
Nuclear porcupine mediates XRCC6/Ku70 S-palmitoylation in the DNA damage response.Experimental hematology & oncology · 2024Chen Y, Xiao M, Mo Y et al.DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00572-w
Porcupine's dilemma in kidney fibrosis.Kidney international · 2019Nishi HDOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2019.07.020
Porcupine quilling-associated pneumothorax in dogs: 25 cases (2001-2022).Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · 2023Sevy JJ, Gottlieb L, Vaught M et al.DOI: 10.2460/javma.22.10.0451
Modulating Wnt signaling at the root: Porcupine and Wnt acylation.ReviewPharmacology & therapeutics · 2019Torres VI, Godoy JA, Inestrosa NCDOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2019.02.009
Targeting ligand-dependent wnt pathway dysregulation in gastrointestinal cancers through porcupine inhibition.ReviewPharmacology & therapeutics · 2022Flanagan DJ, Woodcock SA, Phillips C et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2022.108179

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Wikidata facts

Subclass of: Hystricognathi
Image: Crazy eyes the porcupine.jpg

Show 6 more facts

topic's main category: Category:Porcupines
Commons category: Erethizontidae
exact match: wordnet-rdf.princeton.edu/wn30/02346627-n
different from: hedgehog
described by source: Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
taxon known by this common name: Old World porcupine

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~15 min read

Encyclopedic overview

22 sections

Contents

Terminology and etymology
Taxonomy and evolution
Classification
Evolution
Biology
Old World compared with New World species
Description
Longevity
Diet
Defense
Quills
Ecology
Behavior
Habitat and range
Relationships with humans
Use as food and clothing
Use in research
Domestication
In culture
References
Further reading
External links

The Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) live in Italy, West and South Asia, and most of Africa. They are large, terrestrial, and strictly nocturnal. New World porcupines (Erethizontidae) are indigenous to North America and northern South America. They live in wooded areas and can climb trees, where some species spend their entire lives. They are generally smaller than their Old World counterparts and are less strictly nocturnal.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “porcupine” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.