evidence: 2014a). Surprisingly, our work showed that these rodents did not exert a serious damage to the overall agricultural produc- tion in Central Italy with respect to other species (e.g. wild boar). Although in 2003, the damage caused by H. cristata reached 44 % of the overall damage to agricultural products in area 1, the damage caused by this species was often rather low (near 0 % in some years). Some crops have been damaged more than others: the most attacked species by crested porcu- pines were Cucurbitaceae (i.e. melon and watermelon), main- ly in area 1, and underground storage organs (i.e. onions), in area 4. Study area and extension of cultivated surfaces within each area positively influenced the extent of damage by por- cupines, who may find abundant and clumped trophic re- sources in agricultural areas (cf. Lovari et al. 2013). Further- more, extent of damage by wild boars represented a significant variable which positively influences the extent of damage by crested porcupine. We suggest that wild boars may favour porcupine access to cultivations by disrupting protective fences. Damage on melons in area 1 reached near the 90 % [...] Italy, Lucifero (1909) reported that crested porcupines only rarely provoke crop damages in southern regions. According to all these considerations, it seems that usually porcupines do not cause a heavy damage to crops, at least at large geograph- ical scales.