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Cairo spiny mice were first discovered in Egypt.
Cairo spiny mice seem to use chemical signals in order to communicate with each other to warn others of dangerous predators; however, there is little information regarding specific chemicals produced by this species. This species most likely also perceives the environment through their other visual, tactile and acoustic senses.
Communication Channels: chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Cairo spiny mice are not currently considered threatened.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Cairo spiny mice have been destroying crops near human habitation for thousands of years and they have been known to spread deadly diseases such as typhus, spotted fever, and Salmonella food poisoning
Negative Impacts: injures humans (carries human disease); crop pest
Cairo spiny mice have been widely used as laboratory animals for research in the areas of medicine and biology, including genetics, virology, pharmaceutical development, and cancer research.
Positive Impacts: research and education
Cairo spiny mice serve as a food source for Vulpes cana. They also are parasitized by ticks and fleas that are carriers for diseases such as typhus, Salmonella food poisoning and spotted fever.
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Cairo spiny mice are omnivorous and opportunistic, eating seeds, fruits, dried plants, spiders, small insects, and even snails. This species has also been known to feed on dried Egyptian mummies. In populations that live in close contact with humans, they are known to feed on grains, stored food, and human crops.
Animal Foods: carrion ; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; mollusks
Plant Foods: leaves; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit
Primary Diet: omnivore
Cairo spiny mice are found throughout northern African, from the western Sahara in Mauritania and Morocco east to Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native ); ethiopian (Native )
Cairo spiny mice tend to live in arid, rocky habitats, such as rocky canyons, near cliffs, or near human habitation where they use crevices in buildings. They may also be found in gravelly washes, but are not generally found in sandy areas. They are found mostly on the ground and in burrows, but they occasionally climb. Generally, these spiny mice avoid altitudes above 1500 meters.
Range elevation: 1500 (high) m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland
In captivity, Cairo spiny mice live up to 4 years. No information is currently available for the lifespan of this species in the wild.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 4 (high) years.
Cairo spiny mice are defined by gray-brown to sandy colored, spiny hairs that cover their backs. These hairs resemble the spines of hedgehogs. The underside of these mice is characteristically white while the upper body is brown, grey, or beige colored. These mice have a body length of 7 to 17 cm, weigh between 30 and 70 g. They are characterized by a scaly, hairless tail that varies in length from 5 to 12 cm.
Range mass: 30 to 70 g.
Range length: 7 to 17 cm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
The main predators of Cairo spiny mice are Blanford's foxes (Vulpes cana). In order to avoid this predator, Acomys cahirinus uses chemical signals to communicate with other mice in their group to warn them that danger is near. Though there are no published accounts of other predators, it is likely that the Egyptian spiny mouse are preyed on by a variety of species, such as nocturnal raptors and snakes.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
There is little specific information on the mating system of Cairo spiny mice in the literature. However, social groups seem to be made up of a dominant male and a group of females, suggesting polgyny. Females have help from conspecifics in raising their young.
Mating System: polygynous ; cooperative breeder
The main breeding season of Cairo spiny mice is between September and January, while females are reproductively inactive from February through to August. However, other sources suggest that breeding may occur year-round. The main breeding season corresponds with the onset of the rainy season, which generally begins around September and ends in April. The increase in rain and food availability is perhaps the most important factor for reproduction in female Cairo spiny mice. This species reaches sexual maturity in about 2 months. Acomys cahirinus have a gestation period of 5 to 6 weeks, about 2 weeks longer than typical in similarly sized mice, which means that the young are extremely well developed at birth. Since they live in small groups (see Behavior below), during the birthing process, females tend to help each other by chewing through the umbilical cord and licking the placenta. The young are born with enough hair to thermoregulate independently without the help of a mother and also open their eyes at birth or within the first couple days. These mice tend to produce approximately 1 to 5 offspring in a litter and in just a few days after their birth, infant mice are treated as common children where they are nursed by every mother in the group and accepted everywhere. Incredibly enough, the new mother is fertile once again the evening of the same day she gives birth.
Breeding interval: Cairo spiny mice breed 3 to 4 times during their breeding season.
Breeding season: Acomys cahirinus breeds from September to January.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 5.
Range gestation period: 5 to 6 weeks.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 (low) months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 (low) months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Since Cairo spiny mice live in groups and care for young cooperatively, the mother is not solely responsible for parental care. Additionally, the advanced development of the young at birth and their early independence mean that the duration of parental investment is relatively short. By the third day after birth, young mice are already exploring and investigating their surroundings, and by the age of 2 months they are sexually mature.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
