Do porcupines self-medicate? The seasonal consumption of plants with antiparasitic properties coincides with that of parasite infections in Hystrix cristata of Central Italy

in one's environment, choices must be made to assure a proper balance of nutrients for energy, growth, maintenance, andreproduction. Sometimes, animals select plants also for their medicinal properties. This behaviour constitutes what is calledthe medicinal diet, and it consists of items with beneficial bioactive properties. In primates and other species investigatedso far, it has been found that 15-25% of the plant items consumed have antiparasitic properties. We investigated the dietaryhabits of three non-overlapping populations of crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) in Central Italy and identified medicinalfood species, their potential antiparasitic benefits, and the seasonality of parasite infections in relation to their ingestion.The three study areas were characterised by contrasting degrees of "natural" and agricultural landscapes. In total, 44 fooditems were recorded from 43 plant species based on macro- and microscopic faecal analyses (N = 22, 24 spp., respectively)or stomach contents from necropsied roadkill specimens (N = 11 spp.). The dietary variation between groups could beattributed to differences in human land use patterns, affecting the relative accessibility to cultivars and wild growing plants.The relative proportion of plants in the diet with antiparasitic properties varied between study areas 1, 2, and 3, accountingfor 72%, 48%, and 27%, respectively. Porcupines were found to be infected by 7 species of ectoparasites (ticks and fleas)and 7 species of endoparasites (strongyle nematode, protozoa, and bacteria) in the cold and rainy months. The consumptionof medicinal foods in all three groups coincided with the highest detected prevalence of I. ricinus, P. irritans, P. melis, G.duodenalis, and A. italicus in autumn and winter. This study adds to our general understanding of factors influencing dietaryselection and presents the first evidence for a link between medicinal food consumption and parasite infection seasonalityin crested porcupines of Europe. Future research is required to ascertain the impact of these parasites on infected hosts,potential modes of action of these medicinal foods on them and the gut microbiota, and host health and nutritional status.