An important finding in Colombian biodiversity has been confirmed with the identification of a new species of porcupine: Coendou vossi. With this discovery, the country adds seven recorded species of these spiky rodents, highlighting the importance of scientific research in the region.
The Atlas of Colombian Biodiversity: large rodents had already documented six species of porcupines in the country, some described based on type specimens found in Colombia and others from individuals found in neighboring countries. However, Coendou vossi is the first species described in 126 years with a type locality within Colombian territory.
The identification process began in 2018, when a team of scientists, led by Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves, a professor at the University of Caldas, and Elkin A. Noguera-Urbano, a researcher at the Humboldt Institute, noticed differences between Coendou quichua and certain populations of porcupines from the dry forests of the Caribbean and the inter-Andean valley of the Magdalena River.
To confirm their hypothesis, the researchers analyzed specimens preserved in important international museums such as the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Natural History Museum in London, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History. They also reviewed specimens in Colombian scientific collections, including those of the National University’s Institute of Natural Sciences, the Humboldt Institute, and several universities in the country.
## ADN y morfología revelan una nueva especie
After conducting DNA studies, morphological and biogeographical analyses, the team determined that the specimens in Colombia presented significant differences with Coendou quichua, whose habitat is in the Andes of Ecuador. In reality, it was a species complex with three different lineages: Coendou quichua in Ecuador, Coendou rothschildi in the Chocó-Darién ecoregion, and the new species Coendou vossi, endemic to the humid and dry forests of the Magdalena and Caribbean regions of Colombia.
The finding was validated and published in the Journal of Mammalogy of the American Society of Mammalogists, consolidating Colombia as a key country for the study and conservation of Neotropical porcupines. This discovery highlights the country’s natural wealth and the need to continue protecting its unique ecosystems.
## ¿Cuántas especies de puercoespines existen en el mundo?
It is estimated that there are around 30 species of porcupines in the world, belonging to the Erethizontidae and Hystricidae families. This animal is characterized by being covered with quills with which it defends itself from predators. In fact, its name comes from the French “porcespin,” which means “feathered pig.”
In America, the North American or ursine porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) lives in the forests of Alaska, Canada, and the northwest of the United States, and the prehensile-tailed porcupine (Coendou prehensilis) lives in forests from Mexico to Uruguay. There are also prehensile-tailed porcupines (Coendou) living in the Neotropical zone, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.
The most well-known species of porcupine is Hystrix cristata, which can reach lengths of 60 cm, heights of 25 cm, and weigh up to 15 kg.
Source: INVDES-entreojos.co.
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