Space use and group living in the Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis Peters, 1852)

Abstract

Ten Cape porcupines were radiotracked for one year in a savanna ecosystem at Nylsvley Nature Reserve, Transvaal, South Africa. Social organisation was characterised by family groups comprising a monogamous adult pair and immature offspring. Pair members usually shared the same burrow and utilised similar home range areas. Group size is probably determined by the time of offspring dispersal which is dependent upon population density and resource dispersion and abundance. Total home ranges (100% locations) of neighbouring pairs often showed considerable overlap, although areas of intensive use (90% locations) were largely exclusive and are thought to be defended as territories. Temporal space use patterns suggest that neighbours rarely encounter one another, indicating territorial maintenance through scent marking. Natural foragers had larger home ranges in winter than in summer, whereas range size of crop foragers was aseasonal, suggesting that range size in natural environments is determined by seasonal food availability.