Diet of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata (Rodentia, Hystricidae) in a semi-arid area of its native North African range

Abstract We investigated the feeding ecology of the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata in a semi-arid area of its northwestern Algerian native range over 8 months (September to April). Our results from micro-histological analysis based on faecal pellets revealed that this strict herbivore ate only 10 plant species, 8 wild and 2 cultivated, belonging to 9 families including Lamiaceae, Palmaceae, Poaceae, Ramnaceae and Fabaceae. The autumn diet was dominated by Thymus algeriensis , Ziziphus lotus , Chamaerops humilis and Triticum aestivum , the winter diet by T. algeriensis and C. humilis , and the spring diet by Muscari comosum , with a large amount of Vicia faba and T. aestivum. We confirm the role of this rodent species as a generalist herbivore which barely feeds on cultivated plants when wild resources are diverse and abundant.