Chaetomys subspinosus
bristle-spined rat

Chaetomys subspinosus live in northern and central Brazil.

Thin-spined Porcupines mostly live in the trees of dense vegetated forests and bush regions around savannas and cultivated areas.(Stahnke and Hendrichs, 1990)

Chaetomys subspinosus weigh about 1300 grams and have a head to body length of 380-457mm with a tail length of 255-280mm. Color is mostly brownish, but sometimes grey. Unlike most other porcupines, Thin-spined Porcupines have hairs that resemble bristles more than spines. However, neck, head, and forelimb regions contain spinelike hairs that are less flexible compared to those on the rest of the body. The feet and tail are dark brown to black. The tail itself is long and scaly, but arguably not prehensile. The hands and feet all have 4 digits containing long, curved claws (Nowak, 1999).

Thin-spined Porcupines are slow movers, but are able to jump and climb quickly in the tress if needed. During the day they sleep in hollow tree trunks, nests, or ground holes under rocks (Wolkomir and Wolkomir, 1993-4).

Chaetomys subspinosus are mostly fruit and nut eaters. They generally like to live in the area of cocoa trees, where there is an ample supply of nuts (Nowak, 1999).

Chaetomys subspinosus reside only in a small area of Brazil, where its habitat is slowly being taken away by deforestation, industry, and agriculture. Numbers may be declining, but since Thin-spined Porcupines have the ability to live on forest edges, they might not be as vulnerable (Nowak, 1999).