The black dwarf porcupine, also known as Koopman's porcupine (''Coendou nycthemera''), is a

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...

species from the

New World porcupine The New World porcupines, family Erethizontidae, are large arboreal rodents, distinguished by their Spine (zoology), spiny coverings from which they take their name. They inhabit forests and wooded regions across North America, and into northern ...

family endemic to northern

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It occurs in the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...

east of the

Madeira River The Madeira River ( ) is a major waterway in South America. It is estimated to be in length, while the Madeira-Mamoré is estimated near or in length depending on the measuring party and their methods. The Madeira is the biggest tributary of ...

and south of the Amazon River. It inhabits

primary forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...

and possibly second growth. It was described as ''Coendou koopmani'' by Charles O. Handley Jr. and Ronald H. Pine in 1992, but was subsequently found to be identical to a species described in 1818. It is nocturnal and herbivorous.

References

Natureserve.org
* Coendou Rodents of Brazil Endemic mammals of Brazil Mammals described in 1818 Taxa named by Ignaz von Olfers {{rodent-stub