Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Specy

Golden spiny mouse

Mammals

The golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus) is a small desert rodent named for the reddish-orange, spine-like bristles that cover its head and upper parts, with yellow flanks, a pale underside, grey legs and black foot soles. It sheds part or all of its tail as a defence against predators. It lives in hot, dry deserts across Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and is the spiny mouse best suited to heat, since it concentrates its urine to save water and can survive on the moisture in its omnivorous diet of seeds, desert plants, snails and insects. Naturally nocturnal, it switches to daytime activity where it shares a habitat with the Cairo spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus), which it avoids competing with, and it lives an average of about three years in the wild.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Omnivore 1
Population Trend
Increasing 1
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 1
Relationship to People
Kept as Pets 1
Relationship to People
Agricultural or Structural Pest 1
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 1
Activity Pattern
Diurnal 1
Activity Pattern
Nocturnal 1
Body Size
45 1
Lifespan
3 1
Comparison
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 1
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Muridae, Taxa
Source Animal Diversity Web: Acomys russatus (golden spiny mouse)

In Biome

Desert, Biomes
Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Egypt

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Israel

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Jordan

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Oman

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Saudi Arabia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Yemen

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
Sources
1. Animal Diversity Web: Acomys russatus (golden spiny mouse)
Animal Diversity Web
  • Conservation Status
    IUCN Red List Least Concern
  • Food Habits
    are omnivorous and require a relatively moist diet
  • Habitat, terrestrial biomes
    Terrestrial Biomes desert or dune
  • Conservation Status, living populations
    are slowly increasing as human progress advances further into deserts and arid regions
  • Conservation Status, population trend
    populations are slowly increasing
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
    Golden spiny mice are popular pets in parts of the Middle East
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
    has become a small nuisance to agricultural fields that use drip irrigation
  • Conservation Status, CITES
    CITES No special status
  • Food Habits, activity
    This particular spiny mouse is diurnal
  • Behavior, competition with Acomys cahirinus
    A. russatus became nocturnal
  • Reproduction, lifespan
    Typical lifespan is around 3 years.
  • Other Physical Features, mass
    Average mass 45 g
  • Child Taxon Of: Muridae, Classification
    Muridae
  • In Group: Rodents And Lagomorphs, Classification, order
    Rodentia rodents
View the Source
Golden spiny mouse (Wikipedia)
Environment
Quote, Environment
The golden spiny mouse thrives in dry, hot deserts and is common in Egypt and much of the Middle East, including Jordan, Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.