THE SPINOUS MOUSE 

 Acomys mallah 



Somali name, Jir 



Description. — General colour buff above and white below. 

 The hairs above are grey at their bases and tipped with buff. On 

 the posterior half or third of the back only, the hairs are spinous. 

 The reddish buff of the sides reaches as far as the wrists and 

 ankles. The ears are covered with very minute hairs and are 

 grey in colour : at their bases is a white patch both behind 

 and in front ; these, together with a small white patch under each 

 eye, are more commonly seen in the older specimens. The hands 

 and feet are like the belly, chest and underpart of neck, pure 

 white. The tail, which is sparsely covered with minute hairs, is 

 darker above than below. The muzzle, which is covered with 

 very small white hairs, is markedly pointed. The skin of these 

 rats is very delicate, rendering them extremely difficult to skin. 



Measurements in the flesh of a male and female specimen 

 caught at Upper Sheikh : 



Head and body .... 



Tail ....... 



Hindfoot 



Distribution. — Common in suitable localities in Northern 

 Somaliland. 



Habits. — This mouse seems to prefer stony ravines to 

 flat country. It lives in among the piles of stones marking 

 the sites of old Galla graves, and on the rocky hillsides. It 

 is common on the Golis Range. It is carnivorous and feeds 

 both during the day and night. They are frequently found 

 living together with other small rodents in the old white-anthills 

 with their labyrinth of underground passages. 



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