It is hard to guess what a Philippine porcupine weights. But we have the answer:
An adult Philippine porcupine (Hystrix pumila) on average weights 3.55 kg (7.82 lbs).
The Philippine porcupine is from the family Hystricidae (genus: Hystrix). They can live for up to 9.5 years. When reaching adult age, they grow up to 54.2 cm (1′ 10″).
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 Philippine porcupine, or Palawan porcupine (Hystrix pumila) is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) endemic to the island of Palawan in the Philippines. It is known locally as durian or landak.Apparently, its population is stable, but it is reported to be persecuted by farmers as pests in coconut plantations. Locally common to uncommon, the species is found in primary and secondary forest in the mountains and in the lowlands. This species also inhabits caves, but is commonly found under tree buttresses or in rock crevices. It endemic and restricted to the Palawan Faunal Region. It has been recorded in the islands of Busuanga, Calauit, and Coron, and on the mainland at the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, and the forested areas of El Nido.This mammal appears to have no natural enemies. Its outer covering of spines serves as its protection and defense system. It measures about 42–93 cm (1.38–3.05 ft) long, not counting a tail of about 2.5–19 cm (0.98–7.48 in) and weighs 3.8–5.4 kg (8.4–11.9 lb).
Animals of the same family as a Philippine porcupine
We found other animals of the Hystricidae family:
- Thick-spined porcupine bringing 4.59 kilos (10.12 lbs) to the scale
- Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine bringing 2 kilos (4.41 lbs) to the scale
- Cape porcupine bringing 14.92 kilos (32.89 lbs) to the scale
- Crested porcupine bringing 13.4 kilos (29.54 lbs) to the scale
- Indian crested porcupine bringing 14.3 kilos (31.53 lbs) to the scale
- Long-tailed porcupine bringing 1.75 kilos (3.86 lbs) to the scale
- Malayan porcupine bringing 8 kilos (17.64 lbs) to the scale
- African brush-tailed porcupine bringing 2.88 kilos (6.35 lbs) to the scale
Animals with the same weight as a Philippine porcupine
As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Hystrix pumila:
- Bates’s pygmy antelope with a weight of 2.96 kilos (6.53 lbs)
- Short-eared possum with a weight of 3.13 kilos (6.9 lbs)
- Eastern hare-wallaby with a weight of 3 kilos (6.61 lbs)
- Southern tree hyrax with a weight of 3.18 kilos (7.01 lbs)
- European hare with a weight of 3.82 kilos (8.42 lbs)
- Sechuran fox with a weight of 4.23 kilos (9.33 lbs)
- Golden-backed uakari with a weight of 3.13 kilos (6.9 lbs)
- Black dwarf porcupine with a weight of 3 kilos (6.61 lbs)
- Bay cat with a weight of 3.43 kilos (7.56 lbs)
- Hoary fox with a weight of 4.23 kilos (9.33 lbs)
Animals with the same size as a Philippine porcupine
Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Philippine porcupine:
- Gee’s golden langur with a size of 60.5 cm (2′ 0″)
- Scrub hare with a size of 49.5 cm (1′ 8″)
- Asian small-clawed otter with a size of 51.6 cm (1′ 9″)
- Yellow-spotted rock hyrax with a size of 46.9 cm (1′ 7″)
- Southern river otter with a size of 59 cm (2′ 0″)
- Tonkin snub-nosed monkey with a size of 56.9 cm (1′ 11″)
- Liberian mongoose with a size of 45 cm (1′ 6″)
- Crab-eating mongoose with a size of 50.8 cm (1′ 8″)
- Hoary fox with a size of 60 cm (2′ 0″)
- Japanese hare with a size of 49.9 cm (1′ 8″)
Animals with the same life expectancy as a Philippine porcupine
Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Philippine porcupine:
- Pale fox with an average maximal age of 10 years
- Black duiker with an average maximal age of 10.17 years
- Red-necked pademelon with an average maximal age of 9 years
- Crowned lemur with an average maximal age of 9.17 years
- Kodkod with an average maximal age of 11 years
- Red-flanked duiker with an average maximal age of 9.5 years
- Groundhog with an average maximal age of 10 years
- Nathusius’s pipistrelle with an average maximal age of 8 years
- Whiskered bat with an average maximal age of 9.25 years
- Central American agouti with an average maximal age of 10 years