List of erethizontids

Erethizontidae is a family of mammals in the order Rodentia and part of the Caviomorpha parvorder. Members of this family are called erethizontids or New World porcupines. They are found in North America, Central America, and South America, primarily in forests, though some species can be found in shrublands, grasslands, and savannas. They range in size from the Paraguaian hairy dwarf porcupine, at plus a tail, to the North American porcupine, at plus a tail. Erethizontids are herbivores and primarily eat leaves, stems, fruit, flowers, and roots. No erethizontids have population estimates and none are categorized as an endangered species or critically endangered.
The eighteen extant species of Erethizontidae are divided into two subfamilies: Chaetomyinae consists of a single species, the bristle-spined rat, and Erethizontinae contains seventeen species of porcupines in two genera. A few extinct prehistoric erethizontid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries, the exact number and categorization is not fixed.

Conventions

The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the erethizontid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted.

Erethizontidae is a family consisting of eighteen species in three genera, divided between two subfamilies. Chaetomyinae consists of a single species, and Erethizontinae contains seventeen species of porcupines in two genera.Family Erethizontidae

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World, with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.