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Demography of a Cape porcupine, Hystrix africaeaustralis , population
Author(s) -
Aarde R. J. van
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of zoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0952-8369
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1987.tb03694.x
Subject(s) - porcupine , hystrix , biology , fecundity , cape , population , reproduction , population density , demography , ecology , zoology , geography , archaeology , sociology
The Cape porcupine is a large (12.0 kg), nocturnal hystricomorph rodent and widely distributed throughout southern Africa. The present paper examines age‐specific survival, mortality and fecundity rates in a population, evaluates the roles of possible density‐dependent changes of population parameters in the regulation of porcupine numbers, and describes the life history strategy of the species. The study is based on data sets obtained from animals collected during 1977/78 and during 1981/82. Changes in demographic characteristics are ascribed to an artificial reduction in density, resulting in the relaxation of social factors inhibiting reproduction in young adults.