As its name suggests, the golden spiny mouse is covered in prickly, inflexible, coarse fur; this spiny coat is thought to protect the mouse from predation. It is a small and stocky mouse, with a pointed snout, large, erect ears, and a brittle, furless, scaly tail. Golden, orange-reddish fur covers the upperparts and head, the flanks are yellow, and the underside is pale. The legs are grey and the feet are pale with black soles, and there are small, distinctive white spots below the eyes. Male golden spiny mice tend to be heavier than females.

The type locality is located within a major Egyptian Military base (Wadi Hof), but there is no current information about the species from this area. Beer Kasib is the only other known locality in Egypt outside of the Sinai, but it no longer occurs here. The species was widespread and common in Egypt up to 50 years ago. It has either been extirpated or is very close to extirpation within much of Egypt. It is still common on the Sinai Peninsula (e.g., at St. Catherine's) and in the Middle East (Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, northern Yemen and Oman). This species occurs up to 2,000 m asl. The range of the form A. russatus lewisi may extend into Syria but may be a separate species.

Golden spiny mice inhabit a limited region of the Middle East and Africa. Until recently they were found only in the northeastern portion of the Egyptian desert and in the southern Sinai of Saudi Arabia (Harrison and Bates 1991). Golden spiny mice have now been discovered inhabiting the present day regions of Jordan, Israel, Yemen, and Oman (Nowak 1999). Species of the genus Acomys are all found in arid regions from the eastern Mediterranean to Pakistan.

Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); ethiopian (Native )

20 records. Latest in 1996 (Abu Gallum, St Katherine).

Narrow (South Sinai, Eastern Desert). AOO=71.4 km². EOO=47755 km². 6 locations.

Restricted (southern Middle East).

Acomys russatus are light golden brown in appearance on the dorsal surface. The ventral side is white in color however, the entire pelage of this species is bristly with individual, non- prickly spines covering the animal. The bristles tend to be thicker and more abundant dorsally. The ends of the spines are black or grey which gives this species a more light brown appearance instead of bright gold. A single white patch is found below each eye and behind each ear. The dorsal sides of each limb contain a small white patch as well. Average body and tail lengths are 7-15cm. and 4-13cm., respectively (Grzimek 1990). There is slight sexual dimorphism in size.

Range mass: 15 to 80 g.

Average mass: 45 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 0.24 W.

Length 90-122 mm, tail 56-81 mm, weight 24-53 gm.

Type specimen from Sinai. Very distinct in teeth, chromosomes and molecular sequences. Eastern Desert populations may be a different ssp aegyptiacus Bonhote.

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Golden spiny mice live in arid regions consisting of deserts and savannas dominated by rocky crevices. A. russatus take up residence in terrain consisting of dried up river beds and hillsides strewn with boulders (Kronfeld et al. 1994). Here, they can squeeze between crevices and remain protected from predators. The color of their pelage further aids in blending into the arid landscape. Spiny mice don't typically have a family home, but live in a small community with other A. russatus. These communities are not evenly distributed, but located near food sources. In areas where human habitation exists, A. russatus communities are dense, especially due to agricultural food sources (Haim and Rozenfeld 1998). It has been suggested that, since A. russatus are passive, through time they have been forced into living in arid environments due to competition/exclusion by other more dominant rodents (Kronfeld et al. 1994).

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland

The golden spiny mouse lives in extremely arid, rocky areas, such as the edge of wadis (dry riverbeds), the base of jebels (hills of sand and rock), and at mountain summits. It normally resides in rocky crevices, cracks in soil, the burrows of other rodents, and old termite mounds.

A. russatas are omnivorous and require a relatively moist diet due to high evaporative water loss in the desert. This diet consists mainly of animal matter but also includes snails, insects, seeds, and other plant material (Degen 1994). This particular spiny mouse is diurnal (see behavior) and thus hunts/gathers food throughout the day. In captivity, the golden spiny mouse has been documented eating camel spiders and scorpions. Because food and water are not readily available in the desert, the golden spiny mouse will withstand hunger and thirst for up to nine days (Harrison and Bates 1991). No evidence suggests that spiny mice hunt in teams or packs, however they are social animals and usually live in colonies (see reproduction).

The golden spiny mouse is an omnivorous species, feeding mainly on plant material, such as grains and grasses, but also taking insects. It requires a fairly significant water intake due to its hot, arid habitat, and is adapted to obtain water from the sap of desert plants. Like other spiny mice, this mouse also has the ability to concentrate its urine, in order to conserve precious water.

The gregarious golden spiny mouse often lives in groups and is most active during the day. It reproduces continuously throughout the year, with minimal seasonal changes in breeding. The gestation period of the golden spiny mouse is relatively long compared to other mice, lasting five to six weeks, after which the female gives birth to between one and five offspring. The young are born well developed and are often able to see at birth or within a few days. The golden spiny mouse reaches sexual maturity at two to three months, and has an average lifespan of approximately three years, although some individuals may live for up to five years.

Observations: Little is known about the longevity of these animals, but one specimen lived 3.8 years in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

This species is capable of breeding throughout the year, however breeding peaks during the wet season from February to July. First litters are small, only one or two young are born. Older females can give birth to litters of four or five young. Gestation periods last 5-6 weeks, unlike most murids where gestation is approximately 3-4 weeks long. This results in Acomys russatus newborns being very well developed. These young are not hairless, blind, or helpless like most mice (Grzimek 1990). They require very little warming by the mother, newborns can maintain constant body temperatures. This may be an adaptation to living in an arid climate (Harrison and Bates1991).

Young spiny mice are born in the presence of numerous females. These females will help the mother by licking and cleaning the newborn and disconnecting the umbilical cord. Other lactating females will attempt to steal and adopt these young as their own. No fighting occurs, and this "policy" seems to be understood within the species. Thus in essence, newborns are the "property" of all nursing females within a community (Grzimek 1990). The male's role is not significant. He can be found guarding a nest site and finding food during the first few post-natal weeks. Parental care mainly occurs by the mother(s) in charge. Within 3 months the newborns are on their own and sexually mature. Typical lifespan is around 3 years.

Average birth mass: 7 g.

Average gestation period: 34 days.

Average number of offspring: 2.5.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 91 days.

Acomys russatus populations are slowly increasing as human progress advances further into deserts and arid regions. This is because human habitation supplies additional food sources for the golden spiny mouse.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Native, resident.

Least Concern.

Uncommon.

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

In developing arid regions, the golden spiny mouse has become a small nuisance to agricultural fields that use drip irrigation. In particular, A. russatus will eat seeds and destroy certain crops. They sometimes are the focus of public health concern because flea populations on these mice may host Rickettsia, the organism which causes typhus (Nowak 1999).

Golden spiny mice are popular pets in parts of the Middle East and can be a food source for pet snakes. Spiny mice are easy to maintain and breed in the laboratory (Nowak 1999). This has led to extensive biological and cancer research with these mice.