Urson

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Urson
Urson (Erethizon dorsatum)

Urson ( Erethizon dorsatum )

Systematics
Subordination : Porcupine relatives (Hystricomorpha)
Partial order : Hystricognathi
without rank: Guinea Pig Relatives (Caviomorpha)
Family : Tree prick (Erethizontidae)
Genre : Erethizone
Type : Urson
Scientific name of the  genus
Erethizone
F. Cuvier , 1823
Scientific name of the  species
Erethizon dorsatum
( Linnaeus , 1758)
Urson

The Urson ( Erethizon dorsatum ), often referred to as the tree porcupine or the North American tree prick , is a rodent from the tree prick family (Erethizontidae). It is the largest and best-known member of his family and is found mainly in Canada and the northern and western United States .

description

The Urson grows up to a meter long (14-30 cm of which tail) and weighs 18 kg, making it the second largest rodent in North America after the beaver . Overall, it looks stocky, the arms and legs are very short, the tail is short and thick. The fur consists of a dense undercoat and long outer hair that is yellowish or brown to black in color. There are also numerous (around 30,000) spines on the back and tail, which are provided with small barbs and can be about 2 mm thick and 7.5 cm long. They are used for defense.

distribution

The habitat extends over the northern and western USA and Canada , such as. B. Denali National Park .

Way of life

In the event of danger, the Urson usually tries to avoid the attacker and to take refuge in a tree. If this is not possible, he resists and hits his tail like a club. Its spines, which are only loosely anchored in the skin, can get stuck in the flesh of the opponent and dig deeper and deeper into the body with every movement. Sometimes such spines can even migrate through the body. The Urson was originally a forest animal, but recently it has also been found frequently in cultivated landscapes. The Urson is a tree dweller that moves slowly and lazily on the ground, but can climb trees well and safely. He is a loner who is nocturnal and hides in tree niches, caves or rock niches during the day. Its diet consists of foliage, leaves, shoots, bark and berries. In winter it gnaws the bark of the tree on which it hibernates, often so severely that it dies. Before mating, which takes place in autumn or early winter, the male sprays the female with strong-smelling urine. Only one young is born in the spring.

Urson and people

In its area of ​​distribution, the urson is regarded by some people as a plague, as it can severely affect trees. The spikes are used by the Indians to decorate baskets and clothing. Since Ursons are slow to move on the ground, cars pose a hazard when crossing streets. Nevertheless, they are considered safe.

literature

  • Jiří Gaisler, Jan Zejda, Jaromír Knotek, Libuše Knotkova: Encyclopedia of Mammals . Dausien, Hanau 1997, ISBN 3-7684-2750-1 .

Individual evidence

  1. http://www.nps.gov/dena/naturescience/mammalchecklist.htm
  2. Cho WK, Ankrum JA, Guo D, Chester SA, Yang SY, Kshyap A, Campbell GA, Wood RJ, Rijal RK, Karnik R, Langer R, Karp JM: Microstructured barbs on the North American porcupine quill enable easy tissue penetration and difficult removal . In: PNAS published ahead of print December 10 . 2012. doi : 10.1073 / pnas.1216441109 .

Web links

Commons : Urson  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: Urson  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations