Does the crested porcupine select coppice forest? Habitat preference and activity patterns of a large rodent in the Lago di Vico Natural Reserve

The crested porcupine Hystrix cristata L. is alarge rodent, which mainly occurs in agro-forestry ecosystemsin Italy. In this study, we modelled the occupancyof this species in forest ecosystems, to identify environmentalcharacteristics affecting its presence. The study wasconducted at Lago di Vico Natural Reserve (Latium, CentralItaly) in 2018-2019. The sampling design included a 1 km2grid, where 263 detections were recorded at 39 out of 57camera-trap points. Dendroauxometric data were collectedat each site as covariates in the statistical models.According to our best occupancy model, the crestedporcupine mostly occurs in habitats not totally covered byforests, but composed by mixed landscape patches both forthe land use (crops, woods) and for the coverage (forestedareas, open areas, bushes). We also analysed activityrhythms of the crested porcupine across seasons and inrelation to the moon phases. The analysis of 543 videosshowed that crested porcupine is strictly nocturnalthroughout the year and avoided bright nights, despite thelocal absence of potential predators.