Atherurus africanus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
The African brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) is a species of rat-like Old World porcupine, indigenous to a broad belt of Africa ranging from Guinea on the west coast to Kenya on the east. This is a common species with a very wide range, and despite it being used extensively for bushmeat, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The brush-tailed porcupine reaches 40 to 50 cm in length, not counting the tail. The adult weighs about 3 kg. It has an elongated, rat-like face and body and short legs, tipped with clawed and webbed feet. Unlike most other porcupines, the brush-tailed porcupine has light, small quills. On the tail, these quills are thinner and brush-like. These can make noise when rattled.
The brush-tailed porcupine occurs in Benin, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda, in tropical rainforest at altitudes up to
3,000 m (9,800 ft). Brush-tailed porcupines live in small family groups of about eight members... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odzala-Kokoua National Park | 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ostrava Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an African Brush-tailed Porcupine sighting in Odzala-Kokoua National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 32 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report an African Brush-tailed Porcupine in Odzala-Kokoua National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March, May and July–August, the lowest months. Those are among Odzala-Kokoua National Park's wettest months, with about 210 mm of rain a month against 50 mm in January.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Brush-tailed Porcupine sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Only Odzala-Kokoua National Park, in our data
Odzala-Kokoua National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate African Brush-tailed Porcupine sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the African Brush-tailed Porcupine that you can see in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Red-legged Sun Squirrel (about 30%), Forest Giant Squirrel (about 20%) and Derby's Flying Squirrel (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Brush-tailed Porcupine is recorded against all the mammals logged in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
