# Golden spiny mouse (*Acomys russatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-spiny-mouse  
Data as of: 2026-11-13

The golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus) is a living mammal and a rodent in the family Muridae, subfamily Deomyinae. It belongs to the small size class, with adults typically about 50 g, and it is nocturnal and terrestrial. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern, a category that is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 49.8 g – 54.9 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 4.41 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 5 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | desert |
| Gestation | 34.4 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.5 |
| Age at maturity | 3 months |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Rodentia
- family: Muridae
- genus: Acomys
- species: *Acomys russatus* (Wagner, 1840)

Synonyms: *Acomys lewisi*, *Acomys russatus aegyptiacus*, *Acomys russatus lewisi*, *Mus affinis*, *Mus russatus*

## Common questions

### How much does a golden spiny mouse weigh?

Adults typically weigh about 50 g. The highest value reported by our sources is 54.9 g.

### Is the golden spiny mouse endangered?

No. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern (LC) in the global assessment, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does a golden spiny mouse live?

Lifespan is typically 4.4 years, with a highest recorded value of up to 5 years.

### How many young does a golden spiny mouse have?

A litter has 2 or 3 young after a gestation of 34 days. Sexual maturity is reached at 91 days.

### Who named Acomys russatus?

The scientific name Acomys russatus carries the authority (Wagner, 1840).

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/golden-spiny-mouse