They have also been reported to eat carrion in some instances. In areas deficient in phosphorous they practice osteophagia, or gnawing on bones. These porcupines will often accumulate large piles of bones in their dens. Reproduction Male porcupines reach sexual maturity between eight and eighteen months, while females reach sexual maturity between nine and sixteen months. Because of their dangerous anatomy, females initiate copulation by presenting to the males.
Gestation lasts for three months.
The young are born in litters of one to four into a grass-lined chamber in the parents' den during the wet months of August to March. The average litter size is 1.5 and the average newborn mass is 311g. Young are born relatively well-developed, with their eyes open and teeth present. The young grow rapidly, reaching full size in about a year. They nurse for three to four months at which point they will weigh four to five kilograms.