Homeland and origin of akomis, behavioral features, reproduction, characteristics, advice on care and maintenance at home, purchase. If you are looking for a pet and have an interest in the world of rodents, turn your attention to such a miracle of nature as the spiny mouse. This small living creature is very easy to maintain, besides, unlike many relatives, it does not emit any extraneous odors, moreover, it is easy to tame. After giving the mouse some time to adapt, as a result, you will get a cute pet who will wait for your return from work and cheer you up with just one look.
Home territories and origins of the spiny mouse
If we talk about the large animal kingdom, then in no case can one refute the fact that the entire world fauna is so diverse that on the entire large planet Earth, it will not be possible to find a person who would know all its representatives in person, or at least by name … Maybe if all animals were created on one particular day, then maybe someone would have succeeded, but it is no secret to anyone that every day and year in our world, more and more new ones appear on the pages of books and encyclopedias new representatives of this fascinating world. Studying a wide variety of animals, sometimes one gets the impression that they all live on their own separate planet, which was created especially for them. The world of animals is an integral part of our life and the life of the Earth as a whole, because if they were not near a person, something would be wrong, someone would be missing, and this lack would be very noticeable. Perhaps for some of us our lesser friends do not constitute such a great value, but everyone would say with complete confidence that if we did not have them, our daily life would not be so perfect.
One such piece of the world's fauna is the spiny mouse, the discovery of which dates back to 1838. People of science, who persistently studied this small animal, classified it into the class of mammals, the placental infraclass, the rodent order, the mouse family and the deomyin subfamily.
As for the native areas of these cute rodents, then, probably, it seems most often possible to meet them on the territory of the African continent. In addition, needle mice quite widely inhabit Saudi Arabia, Asia, namely its western part, the islands near Greece. Not so large, but still populations of this species of mammals inhabit the southern part of Europe.
As their permanent place of residence, these amusing little animals have chosen those corners of nature that many representatives of the world fauna prefer to bypass, namely, they most of all like dry climatic conditions. Therefore, most often these rodents choose small territories of savannas, deserts and semi-deserts as their possessions, they feel quite cozy and comfortable among dry rocky embankments and in the depths of thick sands. In the African area, these tailed eccentrics do not bypass abandoned termite mounds.
Behavior of a needle mouse in open nature
Despite the fact that these little mice choose hot, dry climatic conditions for their residence, they absolutely cannot stand the scorching sun and heat, for this reason their period of activity falls at night, sometimes the animals are active in the early morning. During the daytime, these nocturnal residents prefer to hide from the hot external environment in cozy shelters, as the latter can be crevices of rocks, stones or old trees. The most favorite resting place for akomis (another name for the needle mouse) are minks, previously built by other animals, since with their paws they do not take on such difficult and dusty work.
By nature, they are very active and mobile, with pleasure and enviable dexterity they climb trees, as some sources say, these mammals can run over 13-15 km during the day. In the event that the spiny mouse has sensed the approaching danger, it is not lost and proceeds to the most reliable way of self-defense, namely, flight. Where to run is another question, the direction they often have is where their eyes look, they rarely have the ingenuity to climb high up a tree, usually they try to hide in the nearest hole. But if these rodents are still overtaken by some kind of misfortune, from which it will not be possible to get away, then they are transformed in this very minute. The animal loosens its fur strongly, the more it begins to resemble a small hedgehog, but nevertheless, it seems to akomis that in this guise, he looks rather dangerous and formidable, like the most predatory animal.
By their nature, these cute rodents are very friendly and do not tolerate loneliness, therefore, they usually live in rather large social groups in their chosen territories. In such mouse colonies, the female is the president. The relations between the members of such a society are very peaceful, they are used to doing everything together, they are happy to share food and there are no problems, they take care of each other's appearance, thoroughly washing and combing the fur of their relative. In addition to such everyday activities, the female sex of needle mice helps other females in every possible way in the process of giving birth to babies and even if there are cubs in their society who, having lost their mothers, other females, without any questions, take on the upbringing of "orphans" and responsibility for their small lives …
Usually, these fluffy mammals live in the same area for their entire life period, but if suddenly there is no opportunity to eat well on the territory occupied by akomis, or if there is a danger to life overhead, the females may decide to urgently move. When the spiny mice leave their native land, then they all help each other, including transferring their children. It is such a warm and friendly relationship that helps these rodents survive in the wild, they believe that together they are a great force, and to some extent this is true.
The cleanliness of these cute animals can only be learned and envied, they will never leave in search of food or just for a walk without putting themselves and their cubs in order. The place for the fulfillment of natural needs in these rodents is always in one part, so they not only take good care of themselves, but also keep their house clean and tidy.
There are quite a few people who want to feast on a needle mouse in the wild, but the greatest danger for them is represented by birds, reptiles and predatory animals, but gerbils are competitors for food and living on the best lands.
As for the diet of these representatives of deomyinovyh, we can say that they are completely unpretentious in food. They are used to eating whatever they can get their hands on. The favorite dishes of the Akomis are grains and cereals, but they also really enjoy the shoots of young plants, insects, snails, fruits and green grass. Water is an integral part of the life of mice, but if there are enough juicy foods in the diet of rodents, then they can do fine without water. The place for the meal of needle mice is a special corner in which animals feel calm and safe, where no one can get in and destroy not only their lunch, but also themselves.
Description of the appearance of the needle mouse - akomisa
At first glance, it may seem that the needle mouse is a rather large animal, but if you look closely, you will notice that its body does not exceed 11-13 cm in length, and its tail process adds such dimensions to it, which grows to about the same size as the whole body. On the face of this mammal, one can see beautiful, very large eyes, black in color and large auricles, which are placed vertically and have a regular, slightly rounded shape. The ears have the ability to move. The muzzle itself is rather narrow, probably for this reason this rodent was called the needle mouse. Long vibrissae can be seen near the mouth; these elements greatly help the animals to navigate in their natural habitat.
The entire surface of the mouse's body is wrapped in thick and fluffy fur, soft in texture, in addition, this representative of the mouse has one more feature - in addition to fur, on the dorsal side of its body there are also small needles, which are slightly softer and shorter than that of a hedgehog … The caudal process is devoid of any vegetation, it is bald and covered with so-called scales. It is a very vulnerable part of the body that often breaks. Nature has painted this rodent in a variety of shades, the color range on the animal's body varies from light yellow to smoky gray. Whatever the color of this animal, with age, the color gradually darkens and becomes more pronounced and saturated. In addition, an adult male can be easily distinguished from a young animal by the presence of a thick layer of wool around the neck, which resembles a lion's mane. The limbs of akomis are very small and short, ending in small claws.
These amazing animals have one special feature - this is the ability to regenerate, they, like lizards, can shed their tail and even some parts of their skin in case of danger, there are no scars or wounds in this place, and after a while the skin is completely restored.
Continuation of the genus of acomis spiny mice
Sexual maturity comes to these animals rather quickly, already at 2-3 months they can fully reproduce. The mating season for these rodents usually begins in February and lasts until the first days of autumn. The gestation period in a female mouse lasts about 1, 5 months, at the end of this time about 2-3 babies are born. Little "kids" are immediately born with open eyes, exploring the world around them, and with a body covered with fur. The body weight of a newborn is approximately 5-7 grams, the appearance of babies is slightly different from adult mice, not only in weight, but also in body structure. Relative to the tiny body, these rodents, which have just appeared in the white light, have a huge head and very long limbs. They immediately try to find a use for their paws, and from the first hours after birth they start walking. Without their mother, mice can fully exist already from a week of age, and some even at the age of three days are able to independently maintain the required body temperature. But usually for 2-3 weeks the cubs do not leave the mother's nest, since they can get warm themselves, but they are unlikely to be able to feed themselves, so they feed on mother's milk. When the period of breastfeeding has come to an end, the mice begin their adult and independent life.
Keeping a clean needlepoint mouse at home
It is a pleasure to have such a miracle of nature in your home, because many people are frightened by the fact that rodents in the house create a very unpleasant smell, but in the case of such a pet as akomis, such problems should not be expected.
- Your pet's personal home. To purchase a glass aquarium as your own home for your new friend, the upper wall of which is made of a mesh with small cells, this is necessary both for ventilation and so that your pet does not inadvertently sneak around your apartment for a walk, especially when you are away. If it is not possible to equip a glass dwelling for your spiny mouse, then you can provide it with a metal cage, but always with very small cells.
- Floor covering. Litter in a house with a rodent is required, as the latter it is good to use sawdust, sand, dry foliage. In the event that you prefer sand, then you do not need to completely change it, it is enough to collect the top layer twice a week and fill in new sand. Remember that your furry buddy needs somewhere to sleep, so make sure to have a cozy nest in his own apartment. Building materials for a berth can be different, straw, hay are perfect, the main thing is that there is no dust and mold on it, toilet paper, previously shredded and even dry moss. In no case should you use cotton wool, as this inquisitive mouse can taste it and simply suffocate, in addition, it is very easy to get tangled in cotton wool threads with small paws or tail, and this is already fraught with injury.
- Optimal microclimate. For the reason that these animals are accustomed to living in warm environmental conditions, the temperature in their home should be at least 25-28 degrees, therefore, it would be nice to install some kind of heating device, for example, a thermal cord. But if your apartment is always warm, then in principle you can do without it. They prefer dry air, so the needle mouse will not need daily spraying.
- Decorating your pet's personal apartment. This is not to say that for such a pet it is necessary to have various decorations in its aquarium, but you do not want your new friend to be bored when you are not at home, or when you do not have time to entertain him. By their nature, cute akomis are very active and mobile animals, so running, walking and climbing is not just their hobby, but an extreme necessity. For this reason, it will be good to give him a running wheel for rodents, there he will race like crazy, in addition, it is good to install several shelves and branches along which the animal will conquer heights. You can give him some toys, your pet will also be happy. But entertainment is perhaps not the most important thing in the life of any home pupil. For a completely happy and comfortable life at home, your friend needs to have a container of clean drinking water, for this it is good to use some small but heavy ceramic saucer that the animal cannot overturn. A soft spot will not be enough for them to sleep; it is good for him to design a small closed room, like a shelter. Also, a restroom, these rodents are used to peeing in one corner designated for this, but you need to equip it, for this you can use a small container lying on the side, even a flower pot.
- Spring-cleaning. Despite the fact that needle mice are very neat and tidy animals, this fact does not imply that they will clean up after themselves. The substrate needs to be changed as it gets dirty, but it is best to do this about once every three to four days, so you will definitely not expose your home to unpleasant odors. It is good to periodically disinfect all the furnishings of your furry friend's home, for this it is enough to rinse everything in hot water from time to time.
- Feeding. These pets are, in principle, omnivorous, they gladly devour grain, oats, berries, fresh and dried vegetables, fruits, nuts, crackers and greens. And also animal feeds such as crickets, mealworms, caterpillars, dragonflies, butterflies, flies and even lean sea fish, eggs, cottage cheese and beef bones, pre-cooked.
The average price for a pet such as a spiny mouse ranges from 150 to 1,000 rubles.
What a spiny mouse looks like, see the following video:
