Behavior patterns of cold-resistant golden spiny mouse Acomys russatus.

Nesting behavior and food storage were studied in a cold-resistant (CR) population of the golden spiny mouse, Acomys russatus, in Southern Sinai at an altitude of 1600 m. CR-mice, in contrast to cold-sensitive (CS) ones, built nests in which they stored food. Such mice were found to be winter-solitary. These results show that food supply is an essential parameter for the survival of CR-mice during winter. Therefore, it is suggested that food supply rather than energy conservation was the main driving force in the selection of a solitary behavior pattern of CR-mice.