The term spiny mouse refers to any
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
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 ...
within the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
''Acomys''.
Similar in appearance to mice of the genus ''
Mus'', spiny mice are small mammals with bare,
scaled
tail
The tail is the section at the rear end of certain kinds of animals’ bodies; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage to the torso. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the sacrum and coccyx in mammal ...
s. However, their coats are endowed with unusually stiff
guard hair
Guard hair or overhair is the outer layer of hair of most mammals, which overlay the fur. Guard hairs are long and coarse and protect the rest of the pelage (fur) from abrasion and frequently from moisture. They are visible on the surface of the fu ...
s similar to the
spines of a
hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...
; this trait is the source of the common name, ''spiny mouse''.
Despite their anatomic similarity to members of the genus ''Mus'', genetic evidence suggests that the African spiny mice may be more closely related to
gerbil
The Mongolian gerbil or Mongolian jird (''Meriones unguiculatus'') is a small rodent belonging to the subfamily Gerbillinae. Their body size is typically , with a tail, and body weight , with adult males larger than females. The animal is us ...
s than to common mice.
Classification
Genus ''Acomys'' – spiny mice
*
Western Saharan spiny mouse, ''Acomys airensis''
*
Cairo spiny mouse, ''Acomys cahirinus''
*
Chudeau's spiny mouse, ''Acomys chudeaui''
*
Asia Minor spiny mouse, ''Acomys cilicicus''
*
Gray spiny mouse
The gray spiny mouse (''Acomys cineraceus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, rocky areas, arable land
Arable land (from the ...
, ''Acomys cineraceus''
*
Eastern spiny mouse, ''Acomys dimidiatus''
*
Fiery spiny mouse, ''Acomys ignitus''
*
Johan's spiny mouse, ''Acomys johannis''
*
Kemp's spiny mouse, ''Acomys kempi''
*
Louise's spiny mouse
Louise's spiny mouse (''Acomys louisae'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland
A grassland ...
, '' Acomys louisae''
*
Crete spiny mouse
The Crete spiny mouse (''Acomys minous'') is a species of mouse endemic to Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and th ...
, ''Acomys minous''
*
Mullah spiny mouse
The Mullah spiny mouse (''Acomys mullah'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland
Tropical and subtropical grasslands, s ...
, ''Acomys mullah''
*''
Acomys muzei
The Muze spiny mouse (''Acomys muzei'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa ...
''
*
Cyprus spiny mouse
The Cyprus spiny mouse (''Acomys nesiotes'') is a little-known rodent endemic to Cyprus. These nocturnal[N ...](_blank)
, ''Acomys nesiotes''
*''
Acomys ngurui
The Nguru spiny mouse (''Acomys ngurui'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa with ...
''
*
Percival's spiny mouse
Percival's spiny mouse (''Acomys percivali'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Its natural habitats are dry savanna
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland- grassland ( ...
, ''Acomys percivali''
*
Golden spiny mouse
The golden spiny mouse (''Acomys russatus'') gets its name from the reddish-orange spiny fur that covers its body from head to tail. This coarse, inflexible fur is thought to protect it from predation. , ''Acomys russatus''
*
Seurat's spiny mouse
Seurat's spiny mouse (''Acomys seurati'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found only in Algeria. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that ...
, ''Acomys seurati''
*
Southern African spiny mouse
The southern African spiny mouse (''Acomys spinosissimus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Its natural h ...
, ''Acomys spinosissimus''
*
Cape spiny mouse
The Cape spiny mouse (''Acomys subspinosus'') is a murid rodent found in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. They have a dorsal covering of spiny hairs with dark grey-brown coloration, and a white underbelly. The Cape Spiny Mouse has large ...
, ''Acomys subspinosus''
*
Wilson's spiny mouse, ''Acomys wilsoni''
As exotic pets
![Dessicated spiny mouse (Acomys) right side](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Dessicated_spiny_mouse_%28Acomys%29_right_side.jpg)
Though African spiny mice originated in the deserts of Africa, they are frequently kept as
exotic pet
An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species rather than as a domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as animals become firmly enough est ...
s in other parts of the world, particularly Western nations such as the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. In the pet trade, they are most commonly referred to as Egyptian spiny mice or, more simply, spiny mice. Though these animals are similar to pet mice and rats, the tail of a spiny mouse is much more delicate. Therefore, the spiny mouse should never be picked up by its tail and should be handled with care to avoid a
degloving
A degloving injury is a type of avulsion in which an extensive section of skin is completely torn off the underlying tissue, severing its blood supply. It is named by analogy to the process of removing a glove.
The causes of degloving can vary ...
injury. Their diet is also rather hard to maintain because their bodies have odd reactions to certain foods.
Housing
Due to their desert origin, spiny mice thrive at hot temperatures and should be maintained around 27 °C (81 °F). These animals are very social and should always be housed in groups when possible. As spiny mice are prone to obesity, it is important to provide ample space and
environmental enrichment
Environmental enrichment is the stimulation of the brain by its physical and social surroundings. Brains in richer, more stimulating environments have higher rates of synaptogenesis and more complex dendrite arbors, leading to increased brain ac ...
to encourage exercise.
Reproduction
Gestation length is between 38 and 42 days. Litters normally consist of 2 to 3 pups, but females may have up to 6 pups in a single litter. Other females within the social group may assist in the birthing process and tend to the newborns. Pups are born with their eyes open; they will begin to leave the nesting area at about 3 days of age. Babies are weaned around 5 to 6 weeks and reach sexual maturity at about 6 to 9 weeks. A female can conceive throughout the year and may produce up to 9 litters in a year. Lifespan for spiny mice is 4 to 7 years. The mother is able to become pregnant right after birth.
One species of spiny mouse was recently discovered to have a menstrual cycle which would make them important as a
model organism to study
menstruation and reproductive disorders, as
Mus musculus
Mus or MUS may refer to:
Abbreviations
* MUS, the NATO country code for Mauritius
* MUS, the IATA airport code for Minami Torishima Airport
* MUS, abbreviation for the Centre for Modern Urban Studies on Campus The Hague, Leiden University, Net ...
, the common
laboratory mouse
The laboratory mouse or lab mouse is a small mammal of the order Rodentia which is bred and used for scientific research or feeders for certain pets. Laboratory mice are usually of the species '' Mus musculus''. They are the most commonly ...
, does not menstruate.
Diabetes
Captive housing of spiny mice in the mid-1960s uncovered their sensitivity to developing diabetes. That is, spiny mice were kept as pets and maintained on
bird food
Bird food or bird seed is food (often varieties of seeds, nuts, and/or dried fruits) intended for consumption by wild and domestic birds. While most bird food is fed to commercial fowl (such as chicken or turkey), bird food is also used to fe ...
consisting of fat-rich pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds. This diet was associated with obesity, glucosuria, and ketosis. Further studies, in the Institute of Biochemistry in Geneva, revealed that spiny mice manifest low insulin secretion capacity, low response to glucose, and faint first-phase insulin release, despite pancreatic islet hypertrophy and hyperplasia. Notably, they do not show the common symptom of insulin resistance. Also, ''A. russatus'' is not known to develop symptoms of diabetes under a similar diet.
Autotomy and tissue regeneration
All studied species of spiny mice, ''Acomys kempi'', ''A. percivali'', ''A. cahirinus'', ''A. dimidiatus'', and ''A. russatus'', are capable of
autotomic release of skin upon being captured by a predator. To date, spiny mice are the only mammals known to do so.
They can completely regenerate the automatically released or otherwise damaged skin tissue – regrowing hair follicles, skin, sweat glands, fur and cartilage with little or no scarring. It is believed that the corresponding regeneration genes could also function in humans.
In a research article published on May 16, 2017, in
eLife
''eLife'' is a not-for-profit, peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal for the biomedical and life sciences. It was established at the end of 2012 by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Max Planck Society, and Wellcome Trust, following a w ...
, a team from the
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a public land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentucky, the university is one of the state ...
described the role of
macrophages in epimorphic regeneration. The subtype of macrophages found in African spiny mice produces a different immune response than the subtype that elicit scarring.
Disease
Because spiny mice are highly prevalent throughout Africa and rodents are known to be carriers of
disease
A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...
, an investigation into whether spiny mice may carry disease was done in Egypt in 1912.
In this investigation it was determined that ''Acomys'' harbored only a tenth of the number of fleas compared to wild rats and is thus of little importance of spreading disease.
References
*
External links
*ARKive
images and movies of the Asia Minor spiny mouse (''Acomys cilicius'')– Includes several species of African spiny mouse
{{Taxonbar, from=Q268608
Rodents of Africa
Taxa named by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire