Geographic Range
Cairo spiny mice are found throughout northern African, from the western Sahara in
Mauritania and Morocco east to Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan.
- Biogeographic Regions
- palearctic
- ethiopian
Habitat
Cairo spiny mice tend to live in arid, rocky habitats, such as rocky canyons, near
cliffs, or near human habitation where they use crevices in buildings. They may also
be found in gravelly washes, but are not generally found in sandy areas. They are
found mostly on the ground and in burrows, but they occasionally climb. Generally,
these spiny mice avoid altitudes above 1500 meters.
- Habitat Regions
- temperate
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- desert or dune
- savanna or grassland
Physical Description
Cairo spiny mice are defined by gray-brown to sandy colored, spiny hairs that cover
their backs. These hairs resemble the spines of
hedgehogs
. The underside of these mice is characteristically white while the upper body is
brown, grey, or beige colored. These mice have a body length of 7 to 17 cm, weigh
between 30 and 70 g. They are characterized by a scaly, hairless tail that varies
in length from 5 to 12 cm.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- sexes alike
Reproduction
There is little specific information on the mating system of Cairo spiny mice in the
literature. However, social groups seem to be made up of a dominant male and a group
of females, suggesting polgyny. Females have help from conspecifics in raising their
young.
- Mating System
- polygynous
- cooperative breeder
The main breeding season of Cairo spiny mice is between September and January, while
females are reproductively inactive from February through to August. However, other
sources suggest that breeding may occur year-round. The main breeding season corresponds
with the onset of the rainy season, which generally begins around September and ends
in April. The increase in rain and food availability is perhaps the most important
factor for reproduction in female Cairo spiny mice. This species reaches sexual maturity
in about 2 months.
Acomys cahirinus
have a gestation period of 5 to 6 weeks, about 2 weeks longer than typical in similarly
sized mice, which means that the young are extremely well developed at birth. Since
they live in small groups (see Behavior below), during the birthing process, females
tend to help each other by chewing through the umbilical cord and licking the placenta.
The young are born with enough hair to thermoregulate independently without the help
of a mother and also open their eyes at birth or within the first couple days. These
mice tend to produce approximately 1 to 5 offspring in a litter and in just a few
days after their birth, infant mice are treated as common children where they are
nursed by every mother in the group and accepted everywhere. Incredibly enough, the
new mother is fertile once again the evening of the same day she gives birth.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
Since Cairo spiny mice live in groups and care for young cooperatively, the mother
is not solely responsible for parental care. Additionally, the advanced development
of the young at birth and their early independence mean that the duration of parental
investment is relatively short. By the third day after birth, young mice are already
exploring and investigating their surroundings, and by the age of 2 months they are
sexually mature.
- Parental Investment
- precocial
- female parental care
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
-
pre-hatching/birth
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
-
pre-weaning/fledging
-
provisioning
- female
-
protecting
- female
-
provisioning
Lifespan/Longevity
In captivity, Cairo spiny mice live up to 4 years. No information is currently available
for the lifespan of this species in the wild.
Behavior
Cairo spiny mice are very social animals that tend to congregate into small groups.
Each group has one dominant male who will fight if he is challenged by others males
within the group. The 8 different species of spiny mice in the genus
Acomys
have overlapping geographic ranges. However, they all forage at different times of
the day, avoiding competition. For example,
Acomys cahirinus
is nocturnal while
Acomys russatus
is diurnal.
Home Range
There is no information on home range in Cairo spiny mice in the literature.
Communication and Perception
Cairo spiny mice seem to use chemical signals in order to communicate with each other
to warn others of dangerous predators; however, there is little information regarding
specific chemicals produced by this species. This species most likely also perceives
the environment through their other visual, tactile and acoustic senses.
- Communication Channels
- chemical
- Other Communication Modes
- pheromones
Food Habits
Cairo spiny mice are omnivorous and opportunistic, eating seeds, fruits, dried plants,
spiders, small insects, and even snails. This species has also been known to feed
on dried Egyptian mummies. In populations that live in close contact with humans,
they are known to feed on grains, stored food, and human crops.
- Primary Diet
- omnivore
- Animal Foods
- carrion
- insects
- terrestrial non-insect arthropods
- mollusks
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- fruit
Predation
The main predators of Cairo spiny mice are Blanford's foxes (
Vulpes cana
). In order to avoid this predator,
Acomys cahirinus
uses chemical signals to communicate with other mice in their group to warn them
that danger is near. Though there are no published accounts of other predators, it
is likely that the Egyptian spiny mouse are preyed on by a variety of species, such
as nocturnal raptors and snakes.
- Anti-predator Adaptations
- cryptic
Ecosystem Roles
Cairo spiny mice serve as a food source for
Vulpes cana
. They also are parasitized by ticks and fleas that are carriers for diseases such
as typhus,
Salmonella
food poisoning and spotted fever.
- lice ( Siphonaptera )
- ticks ( Ixodida )
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Cairo spiny mice have been widely used as laboratory animals for research in the areas
of medicine and biology, including genetics, virology, pharmaceutical development,
and cancer research.
- Positive Impacts
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
Cairo spiny mice have been destroying crops near human habitation for thousands of
years and they have been known to spread deadly diseases such as typhus, spotted fever,
and
Salmonella
food poisoning
- Negative Impacts
-
injures humans
- carries human disease
- crop pest
Conservation Status
Cairo spiny mice are not currently considered threatened.
Other Comments
Cairo spiny mice were first discovered in Egypt.
Additional Links
Contributors
Clara Regula (author), Sierra College, Jennifer Skillen (editor), Sierra College, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
- Palearctic
-
living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- Ethiopian
-
living in sub-Saharan Africa (south of 30 degrees north) and Madagascar.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- temperate
-
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- desert or dunes
-
in deserts low (less than 30 cm per year) and unpredictable rainfall results in landscapes dominated by plants and animals adapted to aridity. Vegetation is typically sparse, though spectacular blooms may occur following rain. Deserts can be cold or warm and daily temperates typically fluctuate. In dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are dry. This is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants. In dunes near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil. Salt limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- endothermic
-
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- polygynous
-
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- cooperative breeder
-
helpers provide assistance in raising young that are not their own
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- young precocial
-
young are relatively well-developed when born
- female parental care
-
parental care is carried out by females
- nocturnal
-
active during the night
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- pheromones
-
chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- carrion
-
flesh of dead animals.
- cryptic
-
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
- omnivore
-
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
References
Jones, M., T. Dayan. 2000. Foraging Behavior and Microhabitat Use by Spiny Mice, Acomys cahirinus and A. russatus , in the Presence of Blanford's Fox ( Vulpes cana ) Odor. Journal of Chemical Ecology , 26/2: 456.
Medger, K., C. Chimimba, N. Bennett. 2010. Seasonal Reproduction in the Female Spiny Mouse from South Africa. Journal of Zoology , 282/3: 163-170.
2004. Egyptian Spiny Mouse. Pp. 259 in Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia , Vol. 16, 2nd Edition. Detroit: Gale. Accessed March 05, 2012 at http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.sierracollege.edu/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&ts=1330937515639&inPS=true&prodId=GVRL&userGroupName=rock89639 .
2012. "Egyptian Spiny Mouse" (On-line). World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accessed March 11, 2012 at http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/visit-the-zoo/rodents-and-hares/acomys-cahirinus .
2008. Mice. Pp. 2743 in The Gale Encyclopedia of Science , Vol. 1, 4 Edition. Detroit: The Gale Group Inc.. Accessed March 06, 2012 at http://go.galegroup.com.proxy.sierracollege.edu/ps/pdfViewer?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&docType=GALE&tabID=T003&prodId=GVRL&searchId=R6&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchType=BasicSearchForm&contentSegment=¤tPosition=3&inPS=true&userGroupName=rock89639&docId=GALE%7CCX2830101475&contentSet=GALE%7CCX2830101475& .