Breeding of the Cairo Spiny Mouse (Acomys cahirinus) in Laboratory Conditions

The Cairo spiny mouse ( Acomys cahirinus ) is a unique animal model for studying ontogenesis and regeneration. Meanwhile, some peculiarities of its biology, specifically, low fecundity and hence the small litter size, significantly complicate experimental research. This work was aimed to study A. ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of evolutionary biochemistry and physiology 2024-07, Vol.60 (4), p.1347-1362
Main Authors: Shkorbatova, P. Yu, Veshchitskii, A. A., Mikhalkin, A. A., Nikitina, N. I., Belyaev, A. V., Merkulyeva, N. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acomys cahirinus
Animal models
Animal Physiology
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Breeding
Diet
Enrichment
Evolutionary Biology
Experimental Papers
Experimental research
Fecundity
Life Sciences
Litter size
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Summary:The Cairo spiny mouse ( Acomys cahirinus ) is a unique animal model for studying ontogenesis and regeneration. Meanwhile, some peculiarities of its biology, specifically, low fecundity and hence the small litter size, significantly complicate experimental research. This work was aimed to study A. cahirinus behavior and reproduction and to create a breeding colony in laboratory conditions. Here, we describe the specific features of A. cahirinus colony maintenance and management, including some handling and experimental techniques, methods of nutritional and housing optimization, as well as of animal marking for individual identification. Some reproductive indices of A. cahirinus colony are also provided. We modified the animal diet by supplementing it with dried arthropods, an important component of the A. cahirinus natural diet, and created environmental enrichment conditions by placing running wheels, tunnels and huts into each cage. Our efforts yielded more than a 50% increase in A. cahirinus population over 9 months and a 98% overall survival rate of its offspring.
ISSN:0022-0930
1608-3202
DOI:10.1134/S0022093024040082