The Western Saharan spiny mouse or Aïr spiny mouse (''Acomys airensis'') is a species of small, insectivorous
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 found arid regions of western Africa.
Description
The Western Saharan spiny mouse is a small mouse with large ears, small eyes and a sharp snout. The fur on its back is tawny, each hair being grey at the base with a rufous sub-terminal band and a grey tip. It takes its name from a line of spiny hairs on the posterior part of the back, in older mice the spiny hairs spread forwards along the back towards the head. The ventral fur is white and separated clearly from the flanks. There are small white patches under the eye and behind the ears.
Distribution
The Western Saharan spiny mouse occurs north of the Niger River and has been recorded with certainty in southern Mauritania,
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mal ...
and
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesChad,
Western Sahara
Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the ...
This species occurs in the Sahel savanna biogeographical zone where it is found in rocky areas but also in gardens and even within buildings but has also been found in a sandy area of the
Inner Niger Delta
The Inner Niger Delta, also known as the Macina or Masina, is the inland delta of the Niger River. It is an area of fluvial wetlands, lakes and floodplains in the semi-arid Sahel area of central Mali, just south of the Sahara desert.
Location ...
. It has a maximum altitude at which it occurs of 1000m above sea level.
Habits
The Western Saharan spiny mouse is terrestrial and mainly nocturnal, although some have been recorded as active during the day. It probably rests in cracks and crevices in rocks rather than burrowing. In southern Mauritania pregnant females have been found in August and October. Rather common and readily trapped in many areas. Barn owls appear to be major predators of these mice. The skin on the tail breaks off easily. Like other members of the genus '' Acomys'' this mouse is omnivorous but mainly insectivorous.
Taxonomy
Formerly considered conspecific with Cairo spiny mouse ''Acomys cahirinus'' but there are differences in the number of
chromosomes
A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...
. It may be conspecific with
Chudeau's spiny mouse
Chudeau's spiny mouse (''Acomys chudeaui'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Mauritania and Morocco. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors t ...
''Acomys chudeaui'' from
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
and, if that is the case, then the correct species name is ''Acomys chudeaui'' as this name has precedence.