Cape Porcupine

A stocky, slow-moving rodent of rocky hillsides, scrubland, and woodland edges, it forages alone or in small family groups after dark, following well-worn path networks between den sites and feeding areas. Listen for the distinctive dry rattling of hollow tail quills as it moves — a sound that carries surprisingly well on still nights — and watch roadsides and trail margins for fresh diggings where bulbs, tubers, and roots have been excavated. Spotlight surveys along dirt tracks in dry-season months yield the most reliable sightings, when reduced ground cover makes movement more visible and individuals range farther from their dens in search of food.