7.

Northeast African Spiny Mouse

Acomys cahirinus

French: Acomys d'Egypte / German: Agypten-Stachelmaus / Spanish: Ratén espinoso de Africa nororiental

Other common names: Cairo Spiny Mouse, Egyptian Spiny Mouse, Greater Wilfred's Mouse, Western Saharan Spiny Mouse

Taxonomy. Mus cahirinus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1803,

Cairo, Egypt .

Acomys cahirinus was initially placed in Mus because ofits small size, but it was transferred to Acomys because of its morphology (spiny hairs, secondary palate). Its taxonomy experienced many changes with development of cytogenetic and molecular techniques. On morphological, cytogenetic, and mitochondrial grounds, A. cahirinus was considered distinct from A. awrensis, A. chudeaw, A. dimidiatus, and A. seurati . A more recent paper based on genetic data and morphological differences asserted that A. cahirinus and A. dimidiatus were distinct and hada contact zone in Israel. A molecular phylogeny of all south-western species south of the Sahara clearly showed that A.airensis had to be synonymized with A. chudeaui . W. N. Verheyen and colleagues in 2011 recovered A. airensis as sister taxon of a clade of A. cahirinus + A. dimidatus + Acomys sp. Nevertheless, V. Nicolas and colleagues in 2009 are followed here, pending further revision of this taxon. No subspecies are recognized, but many synonyms are available. B. KryStufek and V. Vorhalik in 2009 suggested that subspecies megalodus did not belong to A. cahirinus and was better placed with A. dimidiatus, which implied presence of the latter species in Egypt; this is followed here. Similarly, A. hunteri in Egypt displays chromosomal differences, and A. viator displays morphological differences. Monotypic.

Distribution. Libya and Egypt S to Ethiopia and Djibouti, extending E to Sinai and extreme SE Israel.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 100-120 mm,tail 92-137 mm, ear 18-24 mm, hindfoot 18-21 mm; weight 29-52 g. Compared to other species of Acomys, the Northeast African Spiny Mouse is medium to large;its tail is slightly shorter or equal to its head-body length. Dorsum is yellow-brown, with spiny hairs from shoulders to rump; venter is pure white. Dorsal color varies considerably, and commensal individuals have darker gray pelage. There are three pairs of mammae. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 36-38 and FN = 68.

Habitat. Savanna,arid desert, and steppic environments. Northeast African Spiny Mice prefer rocky habitats where they find shelter in crevices, but they also occur in oases in sandy deserts. In the Nile Valley (Egypt), they have been found in houses, huts, tombs, and temples.

Food and Feeding. Northeast African Spiny Mice are omnivorous, eating herbs, grass, insects (locusts, crickets, butterflies, and moths), and snails. In order of preference, diets contained crickets (50-58%), barley seeds (23-27%), green alfalfa (12-17%), and snails (67%). They can go up to nine days without drinking or eating watercontaining food.

Breeding. Gestation in captivity averages 38 days (range 36-40). Mean litter size is 2-4 young (range 1-5). Cooperative breeding (or communal breeding) of a group of females and mutual grooming have been described. Young are altricial at birth and reach maturity at 1-3 months old.

Activity patterns. Northeast African Spiny Mice are generally nocturnal, but in Egypt, they can be active in early morning and late afternoon. In cold-resistant populations living at elevations of ¢.1600 m in the Sinai Peninsula, they are active above snow, and they are solitary in nests in which they store food. Cold-sensitive Northeast African Spiny Mice in the Dead Sea Valley do not display such behavior.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Northeast African Spiny Mice live in social groups of mostlyfemales and their offspring. They may be locally abundant. In Egypt, 13-41 individuals were captured in lines of 100 traps. The Northeast African Spiny Mouse has a well-developed sense of smell and is able to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar kin.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Northeast African Spiny Mouse does not seem to be affected by human activities throughout its distribution.

Bibliography. Baréme et al. (2000), Bellofiore et al. (2017), Denys et al. (1994), Dieterlen (1961, 1962, 1963, 2013f), Haim (1991), Kronfeld-Schor & Dayan (1999), Krystufek & Vohralik (2009), Nicolas et al. (2009), Osborn & Helmy (1980), Peitz (1981), Porter et al. (1989), Shkolnik & Borut (1969), Verheyen et al. (2011), Volobouey, Auffray et al. (2007), Volobouev, Gautun & Tranier (1996), Volobouey, Tranier & Dutrillaux (1991), Young (1976).