Crossword Genius

Rodent caught awake within interior to tiny hole (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

porcupine

'rodent' is the definition.
(porcupine is a kind of rodent)

'caught awake within interior to tiny hole' is the wordplay.
'caught' becomes 'c' (cricket abbreviation).
'awake' becomes 'up' ('up' can be similar in meaning to 'awake').
'within' becomes 'in'.
'interior to' is an insertion indicator.
'tiny hole' becomes 'pore' (I've seen this before).
'c'+'up'+'in'='cupin'
'cupin' put into 'pore' is 'PORCUPINE'.

(Other definitions for porcupine that I've seen before include "Rodent with sharp black-and-white spikes" , "Rodent covered in quills" , "prickly type" , "Spiny animal" , "Large spiny rodent" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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