The Asia Minor spiny mouse (''Acomys cilicicus'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

in the family Muridae.

Description

''Acomys cilicicus'' is a small terrestrial and social rodent, living in large groups. The head and the body reach a length of , with a tail of about and a weight up to 48 g.Stephan Aulagnier & Al. - Guide des mammiferes d'Europe, d'Afrique du Nord et du Moyen-Orient - Delachaux & Niestlé SA, Paris The upper side of the body is dark gray, with purple reflections, while the lower sides are yellowish-white and the flanks are light brown. The tail is hairless, scaly and shorter than the head and body. The chromosome number is 2n = 36. In captivity, these mice reproduce and live for about four years. Since this species was previously considered endangered, a protection program is in place and government permission is needed for export from Turkey. Only a few zoos in the world have individuals of this species (Chester, Riga, Prague, Tallinn and Helsinki Zoo). This species is related to the Cairo spiny mouse ('' Acomys cahirinus'') and the Cyprus spiny mouse ('' Acomys nesiotes''), but significant morphological differences are seen.

Distribution

This species is endemic to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

. It is known only from the type locality 17 km east of the Turkish town of

Silifke Silifke ( grc-gre, Σελεύκεια, ''Seleukeia'', la, Seleucia ad Calycadnum) is a town and district in south-central Mersin Province, Turkey, west of the city of Mersin, on the west end of Çukurova. Silifke is near the Mediterranean co ...

, located in the south-west of Mersin, along the southern coast of

Habitat

Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is temperate

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s, but this species is also lives close to human dwellings.

Conservation status

''A. cilicicus'' was previously listed as Critically Endangered, but is now considered Data Deficient because of taxonomic issues, as it may be the same species as the widespread and common northeast Cairo spiny mouse, ''A. cahirinus''.

References

External links

Mammals species of the World
* * * Acomys Fauna of Turkey Endemic fauna of Turkey Mammals described in 1978 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Acomys-stub