It is hard to guess what a Cape porcupine weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) on average weights 14.92 kg (32.89 lbs).
The Cape porcupine is from the family Hystricidae (genus: Hystrix). It is usually born with about 306 grams (0.67 lbs). They can live for up to 20 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 22.6 cm (0′ 9″). On average, Cape porcupines can have babies 1 times per year with a litter size of 2.
As a reference: An average human weights in at 62 kg (137 lbs) and reaches an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). Humans spend 280 days (40 weeks) in the womb of their mother and reach around 75 years of age.
The Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) or South African porcupine, is a species of Old World porcupine native to central and southern Africa.
Animals of the same family as a Cape porcupine
We found other animals of the Hystricidae family:
- Malayan porcupine bringing 8 kilos (17.64 lbs) to the scale
- Long-tailed porcupine bringing 1.75 kilos (3.86 lbs) to the scale
- Indian crested porcupine bringing 14.3 kilos (31.53 lbs) to the scale
- Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine bringing 2 kilos (4.41 lbs) to the scale
- Crested porcupine bringing 13.4 kilos (29.54 lbs) to the scale
- African brush-tailed porcupine bringing 2.88 kilos (6.35 lbs) to the scale
- Philippine porcupine bringing 3.55 kilos (7.83 lbs) to the scale
- Thick-spined porcupine bringing 4.59 kilos (10.12 lbs) to the scale
Animals with the same weight as a Cape porcupine
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Hystrix africaeaustralis:
- Yellow baboon with a weight of 15.82 kilos (34.88 lbs)
- Dwarf brocket with a weight of 16.04 kilos (35.36 lbs)
- Gray brocket with a weight of 16.4 kilos (36.16 lbs)
- Water deer with a weight of 12.73 kilos (28.06 lbs)
- Ethiopian wolf with a weight of 14.38 kilos (31.7 lbs)
- Coyote with a weight of 12 kilos (26.46 lbs)
- Chacma baboon with a weight of 17.73 kilos (39.09 lbs)
- Ursine tree-kangaroo with a weight of 13.28 kilos (29.28 lbs)
- Klipspringer with a weight of 13.46 kilos (29.67 lbs)
- Harvey’s duiker with a weight of 14.5 kilos (31.97 lbs)
Animals with the same litter size as a Cape porcupine
Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (2) as a Cape porcupine:
- Allegheny woodrat
- Glacier rat
- Pygmy marmoset
- Kimberley rock rat
- Eastern common cuscus
- Large treeshrew
- Somali serotine
- Baird’s pocket gopher
- Chinese mole shrew
- Moon forest shrew
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Cape porcupine
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Cape porcupine:
- Egyptian fruit bat with an average maximal age of 22.83 years
- Golden-backed uakari with an average maximal age of 18 years
- Egyptian fruit bat with an average maximal age of 22.83 years
- Brown fur seal with an average maximal age of 21 years
- African brush-tailed porcupine with an average maximal age of 22.83 years
- Buru babirusa with an average maximal age of 24 years
- European pine marten with an average maximal age of 17 years
- White-nosed saki with an average maximal age of 17 years
- Northern viscacha with an average maximal age of 19.5 years
- Desert warthog with an average maximal age of 18.75 years