NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Crested Porcupine
Hystrix (Hystrix) cristata Linnaeus, 1758
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata), also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa and East Africa. Alongside the Cape porcupine, it is one of the largest porcupine species in the world. It is the only species of porcupine found in Europe.
Wikipedia contributors, Crested porcupine; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:02:31.108287+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Hystrix (Hystrix) cristata Linnaeus, 1758
- Name authority
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Common name
- Crested Porcupine
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Hystricidae
- Genus
- Hystrix
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderHystricomorpha Brandt, 1855
- infraorderHystricognathi Brandt, 1855
- familyHystricidae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
- genusHystrix Linnaeus, 1758
- subgenusHystrix Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesHystrix (Hystrix) cristata Linnaeus, 1758
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Hystrix. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Crested PorcupineHystrix (Hystrix) indica Kerr, 1792 | HystricidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sumatran PorcupineHystrix (Thecurus) sumatrae (Lyon, 1907) | HystricidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Borneo Short-tailed PorcupineHystrix (Thecurus) crassispinis Günther, 1877 | HystricidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Indonesian PorcupineHystrix (Thecurus) pumila Günther, 1879 | HystricidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Himalayan Crestless PorcupineHystrix (Acanthion) brachyura Linnaeus, 1758 | HystricidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Javan PorcupineHystrix (Acanthion) javanica F. Cuvier, 1823 | HystricidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China)
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=584681 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3P6RV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.