58 The Mammals of Colorado 
into quills or spines; four toes on front feet, five on hind feet, 
all with strong claws; limbs short and strong; tail short, thick, 
non-prehensile, covered above with stiff hairs and spines, and 
on the sides and beneath with stiff bristles. 
Skull with facial portion short; dentition, i. | ; p. ^ ; m. f X 2 = 20. 
There are two species and four subspecies of porcupines 
found in the timbered regions of North America, only one 
being found in Colorado. 
Erethizon epixanthum (Grk. epi, upon, xanihus, yellow). 
Yellow-haired Porcupine. 
Erethizon epixanthum Brandt, Mem. Acad. St. Petersb., 1835, 
p. 389, pi. i., 9. 
Type locality. — Calif ornia(?) Unalaska(?) 
Measurements. — Total length, 32; tail vert., 6.8; hind foot, 4.25. 
Description. — (From a specimen taken near Sheephorn Pass, 
Grand County, May 20th): The general appearance of the animal 
is black and a somewhat greenish yellow, due to the long outer hairs, 
which project three inches beyond the quills and short hairs, and 
are black with an inch or more of the tips yellow. These long hairs 
are wanting on the rump. The quills are yellowish with blackish 
tips, and are found all over the sides and upper parts, including tail, 
but not on nose. Mingled with the quills are short black hairs. 
Sides of belly with yellow hairs, middle M'ith black. The long 
black and yellow hairs are found on the legs and feet except the 
soles which are naked and black. 
Distribution. — Elliot, in his Check-list, gives the range of this 
species as " State of Sonora, Mexico, into New Mexico, eastward 
to Missouri, west to the Pacific, and north to Alaska and the limit of 
trees." 
In Colorado it is found through the timbered portions of the 
State, which thus confines it pretty well to the mountains, through 
which it is generally distributed, and quite common in many places, 
and seems to be most abundant in the higher altitudes, from 9,000 
feet up. 
Habits. — Porcupines are tree-loving animals, and are 
seldom found any distance from the woods; with their long 
stout claws they are good climbers, and spend much of their 
lives in the trees. Their food is vegetable, and consists of 
the bark of trees, grass, and any fruits they are able to 
