erethizontid
English
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Urson_Erethizon_dorsatum_2.jpg/220px-Urson_Erethizon_dorsatum_2.jpg)
Noun
erethizontid (plural erethizontids)
- (zoology) Any of the New World porcupines comprising the family Erethizontidae.
- 1987, Joseph F. Merritt, Guide to the Mammals of Pennsylvan[1], page 235:
- Erethizontids are primarily herbivorous. […] With their elaborate courtship behavior, the erethizontids are a fascinating group of mammals.
- 2010, M. G. Vucetich, A. G. Kramarz, A. M. Candela, 14: Colhuehuapian rodents from Gran Barranca and other Patagonian localities: the state of the art, Richard H. Madden (editor), The Paleontology of Gran Barranca, page 212,
- The erethizontids, with four genera (including eight species) achieved their greatest known diversity, representing 22% of the total diversity.
- 2010, Peter S. Ungar, Mammal Teeth: Origin, Evolution, and Diversity[2], page 212:
- Erethizontids inhabit a broad variety of habitats, from tundra to the tropics and from dense forests to open settings.
Synonyms
- (any species of family Erethizontidae): New World porcupine