Hystrix is a genus of porcupines containing most of the Old World porcupines. Fossils belonging to the genus date back to the late Miocene of Africa.
Hystrix (from Ancient Greek á½ÂÃÂÃÂÃÂùþ (hústrix, âÂÂporcupineâÂÂ) was given name by the 18th-century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.