New range record for the African brush-tailed porcupine, Atherurus africanus, in southeastern Senegal and northern Guinea

Abstract

The African brush-tailed porcupine (Atherurus africanus) is a rodent common from West to East Africa. The last IUCN assessment stated that its presence is uncertain in Senegal. Here, we report the presence of the African brush-tailed porcupine in the Dindefelo Community Nature Reserve (Dindefelo), in southeastern Senegal, and across the border in northern Guinea. From 2017 to 2022, we obtained 58 camera trap videos from seven different locations in Dindefelo and 86 camera trap videos from Sahoro cave, in Guinea, showing Atherurus africanus. It is likely that this species has always been present in both areas, but it may have gone undetected because it is nocturnal and may be less abundant.