Hystrix (mammal)
| Hystrix Temporal range: Early Miocene - Recent | |
|---|---|
| Hystrix indica (Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison, Wisconsin) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Hystricidae |
| Genus: | Hystrix Linnaeus, 1758 |
| Type species | |
| Hystrix cristata Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Species | |
|
Hystrix africaeaustralis | |
| Distribution of Old World porcupines | |
Hystrix is a genus of porcupines containing most of the Old World porcupines. Fossils belonging to the genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.
Hystrix (from Ancient Greek ὕστριξ (hústrix, “porcupine”) was given name by the 18th-century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.