Barbary Striped Grass Mouse
(Lemniscomys barbarus)
Facts
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IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
Barbary striped grass mice reach a head-body length of 8-12 cm. The tail is as long, or slightly longer than head and body. The body-weight ranges from 30-40 g. The fur is longitudinally striped.
Males reach sexual maturity at an age of 10 weeks, females sometimes several months later. Possibly reproduction is correlated with season and ambient temperature, as many females do not give birth during the Europoean winter. After a pregancy of 21 days about 5 young are born, which are blind and hairless at birth.
Did you know?
That Barbary striped grass mice may reach an age of 3 to 4.5 years in human care, while in the wild their life expectancy hardly exceeds 6 months?
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | MAMMALIA |
| Order | RODENTIA |
| Suborder | MYOMORPHA |
| Family | MURIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Lemniscomys barbarus |
| Name (English) | Barbary Striped Grass Mouse |
| Name (French) | Rat rayé de barbarie |
| Name (German) | Streifen-Grasmaus |
| Name (Spanish) | Ratón listado |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Richard Bartz
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | North Africa: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia |
| Habitat | Dry bush and grass savannahs and semi-desert |
| Wild population | Unknown, but stable (Red List IUCN 2011) |
| Zoo population | 306 reported to ISIS (2006) but this species is also a popular pet animal |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 81 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Eva Kröcher
Why do zoos keep this animal
The Barbary striped grass mouse, also called “zebra mouse”, is the most frequently kept of the about 11 Lemniscomys species. Zoos keep zebra mice primarily for educational reasons, as a particularly attractive representative of the mouse family. Being small,diurnal, social and very active animals, zebra mice appeal particularly to children, and are an ideal species for awakening a positive attitude towards animals and nature.