Mus spretus
| Algerian mouse | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Mus |
| Species: | M. spretus |
| Binomial name | |
|
Mus spretus Lataste, 1883 |
|
| Subspecies | |
|
Mus spretus spretus |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Mus spicilegus spretus |
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Mus spretus spretus
Mus spretus parvus
Mus spicilegus spretus
The Algerian mouse, or western Mediterranean mouse, (Mus spretus) is a wild species of mouse closely related to the house mouse, native to open habitats around the western Mediterranean.
The Algerian mouse closely resembles the house mouse in appearance, and can be most easily distinguished from that species by its shorter tail. It has brownish fur over most of the body, with distinct white or buff underparts. It ranges from 7.9 to 9.3 cm (3.1 to 3.7 in) in head-body length with a 5.9- to 7.3-cm tail and a body weight of 15 to 19 g (0.53 to 0.67 oz).
The Algerian mouse inhabits south-western Europe and the western Mediterranean coast of Africa. It is found throughout mainland Portugal, and in all but the most northerly parts of Spain. Its range extends east of the Pyrenees into southern France, where it is found in south-eastern regions around Toulouse and up the Rhone valley to Valence. It is also found throughout the Balearic Islands. In Africa, it is found in the Maghreb regions of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and western Libya, north of the Sahara desert. Also, a small population occurs on the coast of eastern Libya.
It prefers open terrain, avoiding dense forests, and is most commonly found in temperate grassland, arable land, and rural gardens. It can typically be found in areas of grassland or open scrub, where shrubs and tall grasses can help obscure it from predators, but where plenty of open ground is available. Although it is considered a fully wild species, avoiding humans, it may occasionally be found in abandoned buildings.
The Algerian mouse is primarily nocturnal. It is an opportunistic omnivore, primarily feeding on grass seeds, fruit, and insects. It has been reported to require only two-thirds the volume of drinking water required by the house mouse. As a relatively unspecialised small mammal, it is preyed on by a number of predators, including owls, mammalian carnivores, and snakes.
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Wikipedia