Spiny mouse
| Spiny mouse Temporal range: Early Pliocene – Recent | |
|---|---|
| Eastern spiny mouse (Acomys dimidiatus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Deomyinae |
| Genus: | Acomys I. Geoffroy, 1838 |
| Type species | |
| Mus cahirinus | |
| Species | |
|
21, see text | |
The term spiny mouse refers to any species of rodent within the genus Acomys. Similar in appearance to mice of the genus Mus, spiny mice are small mammals with bare tails which contain osteoderms, a rare feature in mammals. Their coats are endowed with unusually stiff guard hairs similar to the spines of a hedgehog; this trait is the source of the common name, spiny mouse.
Despite their anatomic similarity to members of the genus Mus, genetic evidence suggests that the African spiny mice may be more closely related to gerbils than to common mice.