Golden spiny mouse

Golden spiny mouse

Scientific name: Acomys russatus
In the wild: common
Jerusalem zoo: Group in small animal building and children zoo
In the Bible: The mouse does not appear in the Bible
The Golden spiny mouse can be found in desert areas in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Arabia. These mice prefer to live in rocky areas or other animal's burrows so they can shelter themselves from predators. Their color helps them to blend into the landscape. Their color is light golden brown but because of their grey colored spines they seem light brown. The golden spiny mouse is a non-aggressive rodent. When in danger, it projects its spiny fur, thus making itself to look larger and more intimidating in front of predators. Ocasionaly, when the mouse fights with predators or other of its species, its tail will be pulled out. In this case, the mouse it saved, and the offender it left with only the tail in hand. This does not harm the mouse, but the tail will not grow again (as is the case with many lizards). Because water and food are scarce in the desert the Golden spiny mouse can fast for up to 8 days! The mouse prefers a moist diet, for example, snails which can contain up to 80% water. It will also eat spiders and scorpions. The Golden spiny mouse is used by humans for biological and cancer research. In habitats that are shared with the Egyptian spiny mouse, the Golden spiny mouse is active during the day. But in actual fact, its natural behavior is nocturnal, and it is pushed to day time activity by the presence of the Egyptian spiny mouse.