Eva's Spiny Mice Page

I was recently asked if I had info about African Spiny Mice but I have not found any "African Spiny Mice", only Egyptian Spiny Mice and Arabian Spiny Mice (also called Cairo Spiny Mice). These are the same as the animals commonly called Spiny Mice. I have also heard of a Spiny Rat (also living in Africa) but that species is not that closely related to the spiny mice.

Species:
Their real name is Acomys cahirinus. Some scientists divide this species in two subspecies - Acomys cahirinus cahirinus (Egyptian Spiny Mice) and Acomys cahirinus dimmidiatus (Arabian or Cairo Spiny Mice). When you talk about spiny mice you are probably referring to Acomys cahirinus and its subspecies. You can find wild spiny mice in Africa, Asia and the southern parts of Europe.

Adult size:
Usually between 50 and 90 grams.

Lifespan:
4 to 5 years.

Natural behaviour and social organisation:
Spiny mice live in large family groups in arid areas like deserts, semi-deserts, and savannas. The species is active during the night. Spiny mice are generally very social in the wild.

Social organisation:
NEVER keep spiny mice alone, this is a highly social animal. Males live together without fights if the cage is large enough, they only fight if the cage is too small. It is preferred to keep a group of animals, 4 or 5 that lives together in the same cage is better than just a pair.

Cages and environment:
The cage MUST be at least 90*45*45 cm or bigger. The best cage is a big aquarium, since these animals thrive in heat and aquariums keep in the heat. Spiny mice can die at a temperature of 10 or 15 degrees Celsius. They prefer temperatures around 30 to 40 degrees Celcius. Remember that this is a typical desert animal!
The cage must have at least 10 cm of bedding/litter. To burrow toilet rolls and stuff like that in the bedding is a good idea, so it will be easier for the mice to make tunnels. On top of the layer of bedding they need sleeping houses, wooden sticks, and any kind of paper houses. Even cans made of glass is ok. If you can make some wooden shelves too that is really good. And then - most of all - lots of hay!

Escape proof cages:
These animals are very good at escaping, make a wellfitting wire cover for the aquarium that they cannot put their heads through (and maybe get stuck).

Environmental changes:
Do NOT rearrange inside the cage! Spiny do not like this. Keep the animals warm at all points if moving them to another location.

Care:

Never lift a spiny mouse by holding its tail! The tail will fall off, and of course this is very painful for the animal. Tails do not grow back if lost.
Spiny mice kept in too small cages will fight.
In a big enough cage you will not have to clean out more than a few times per year.
If some of the mice lose their tails they are either too crowded or have been fed too little protein (or both).
Their tails can easily get stuch in wheels, so do not use wheels.
Handle with care - the spines may be hard, but the mouse feels pain if it loses one of its spines...
If you spend time with your spiny mice they will become came, just as gerbils and mice and rats... They can learn to come when called, know their own name and stay on your shoulders.

Food and nutricial requirements:

In the wild they eat mainly plant seeds, plants and dates (from datetrees).
Crushed oats, crushed wheat, corn, dry and hard bread is good food. Some peanuts and sun flower seeds may be added. This is the dry food.
As fresh food they need all kinds of vegetables (without strong taste or smell) and many kinds of fruit, do not give much of your spiny mouse is not used to this.
You can also give whole-meal bread, cooked potatoes, cornflakes, meat, nuts and insects once a week. The meat is easy to give as a chickenbone with some meat on it.
They easily become fat, it your mice are a big on the fat side - exclude fat nuts from their diet.
Always have fresh water in a waterbottle, changed daily!

Breeding:

Spiny mice may come in at least three different colour variations.
Sexing: just as for mice, rats and gerbils.
If you want to breed: Get a bigger cage!
If you have mixed males and females in a big enough cage you will soon see babies.
The female is usually pregnant 36 to 38 days.
She does not leave the group and do not need a cage of her own.
She can have up to six babies in a litter.
The spiny mice helps out with the babies.
The babies can eat solid from birth.
At three days of age the babies are able to walk (run) around...
Babies are old enough to get their own babies at the age of 6 to 9 weeks.
Do not wean until 5 or 6 weeks of age.
Spiny mice will grow until three years of age and live for 4 or 5 years.
A female can have up to 12 litters per year, and they breed troughout the year.

To see if they are healthy:

Fat animals are unhealthy animals.
Bitemarks or missing parts on ears, eyes and tails are signs off too many spiny mice in too small a cage.
Otherwise same as for any rodent...

Health:
Only known disease of spiny mice is diabetes caused by fatness.

Disadvantages with spiny mice:
Are best pets for night owls, since they sleep during the days and are active during the night.

A close relative:
There is also another species of Spiny Mice called Acomys russatus (Golden Spiny Mice or Russet Spiny Mice). This species builds nests and males may be aggressive toward eachother, otherwise it is kept just as for the common spiny mice... I have found no evidence that this species have been kept as pets in Sweden, but they been kept in England.

Author Eva from Eva's Home Page