Golden Spiny Mouse

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Golden Spiny Mouse

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Deomyinae
Genus: Acomys
Species: A. russatus
Binomial name
Acomys russatus
(Wagner, 1840)

The Golden Spiny Mouse, Acomys russatus, is indigenous to deserts. Its body is 12.5 cm long and its tail is 6 cm. The average weight is 53 grams. It feeds on seeds, vegetation, snails, and insects. The golden spiny mouse is a diurnal rodent. This species exhibits behavioral flexibility in the timing of behavior. When the golden spiny mouse shares territory with the closely-related common spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) it can become largely nocturnal to avoid direct competition for resources.