The spiny mouse climbing his rock.
Picture by Natasha Butler.
The spiny mouse lives in rocky habitats in deserts and savannas. They have been found in northern Africa, the mountains of the Sahara, up to Mauritania, and northern Nigeria. In the classroom, the spiny mouse lives in a ten gallon cage with cedar shavings and a water bottle and food. In the wild, spiny mice eat grain and plants. Birds, other mammals, and reptiles eat the spiny mouse.
Spiny mice are mature at the age of seven weeks and they are fully grown at one hundred fifty days. If spiny mice are taken good care of, they usually live for three years. Spiny mice love to live in groups. Two males and two females love living together too. The spiny mouse is pregnant for 30 to 42 days. Baby mice get to wander around the house until they can walk. Babies are weaned at the age of four weeks and leave to their new homes at the age of six weeks old.
Some personal observations are: the spiny mouse sits in one corner of the cage and doesn't move. The spiny mouse runs fast all around the cage.
Some other interesting information about spiny mice are:"Spiny" comes from adapted hairs like hedgehog spines. Tails are very delicate. If they fall off, they will never grow back again. Babies are born with their eyes open and with fur. Two year old females can still give birth. Most mice are born between four and eight a.m.
The spiny mouse climbing off the rock.
Picture by Natasha Butler.
Back to the TigerWeb Home Page