Kemp's spiny mouse

Kemp's spiny mouse, Acomys kempi, is a small rodent of the family Muridae that lives in eastern Africa. It has been recorded in Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania, where it occupies dry savanna and rocky ground. Like other spiny mice it is best known for what happens when its skin is damaged. It is one of only two mammals reported to be able to shed its skin, the other being Acomys percivali, and as a result of that ability it is capable of completely regenerating damaged tissue, including hair follicles, skin, sweat glands, fur and cartilage. In other words, injury to its skin is answered with new tissue rather than patched over. The source article is short, so this entry records only what it states: where the species lives, the habitats it uses and its unusual regenerative biology.