# Spiny mouse died?



## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

I had a group of 7 female spinies but I came back from work today to find one them dead and half-eaten. :censor: I'm pretty upset over it because I don't understand what has happened. Water bottle was full. I did give them gerbil seed mix instead of their usual bird seed and mouse blocks for the last two days as I ran out of these. Would that have made a difference? Shows how much crap is in the commerical mixes. I would have thought they would eat that before attacking one of their own though.

Any ideas? Social dynamics perhaps. There is no literature or online articles on the social behaviour of these aside from introducing new spiny mice to an established group.

What a crap week.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Sometimes its just one of them things that happens i dont think its anything you have done hun 

if the spiney was ill then the others would have known that so killed it............same would happen in the wild


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## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

No idea why it happened and it would give me peace of mind to know so it doesn't happen again to another. None of them showed any signs of illness, although I know prey species hide it well. I don't think it was the temporary change of food because they have their usual hay and millet which they would've eaten. Nothing in the enclosure would harm them.

If anyone knows anything about spiny mouse social behaviour can you give me a PM or something? Zebra mice are prone to aggressive outbursts but I've never read or heard anything about spiny mice doing this. :-|


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Cranwelli said:


> No idea why it happened and it would give me peace of mind to know so it doesn't happen again to another. None of them showed any signs of illness, although I know prey species hide it well. I don't think it was the temporary change of food because they have their usual hay and millet which they would've eaten. Nothing in the enclosure would harm them.
> 
> If anyone knows anything about spiny mouse social behaviour can you give me a PM or something? Zebra mice are prone to aggressive outbursts but I've never read or heard anything about spiny mice doing this. :-|


 
I really do think its been a case of survival of the fittest hun 

rodents hide very well when there is something wrong 

many moons back i had a group of rats that had always lived together in harmony and one day they set on one of the others..............i got to her before any real damage was done but after a visit to the vet with her found out she was riddled with cancer...........this is why the other cage mates set on her as they knew and knew she didnt have very long left


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## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

I suppose you're right.


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

its just one of them things in life that happens 

not nice when it does though hun


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## xXFooFooLaFluffXx (Aug 4, 2007)

sometimes these things just happen. not every death can be explained unfortunately. ive found a couple of spiny mice with no heads. The others wouldnt have killed it, more like eaten it to clean up. ive never seen any of our spinys attack another apart from little spats in the colony that have never amounted to anything. the change in the food im sure didnt contribute


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## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

Well here's hoping nothing else happens. :whip:


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## Emmaj (Dec 3, 2007)

Cranwelli said:


> Well here's hoping nothing else happens. :whip:


hopefully not : victory:


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## Ursus (Jul 9, 2009)

Cranwelli said:


> No idea why it happened and it would give me peace of mind to know so it doesn't happen again to another. None of them showed any signs of illness, although I know prey species hide it well. I don't think it was the temporary change of food because they have their usual hay and millet which they would've eaten. Nothing in the enclosure would harm them.
> 
> If anyone knows anything about spiny mouse social behaviour can you give me a PM or something? Zebra mice are prone to aggressive outbursts but I've never read or heard anything about spiny mice doing this. :-|


Hi , Spiny Mice , of all species , will readily consume "animal protein" , indeed I am certain it is a nutritional requirement. I have kept several species over many years and have found that occasionally they will eat their companions , whether they die first and then get eaten or whether they are attacked and eaten. I did provide mine with cooked chicken at times , mealworms and crucially I used to give mine an insectivorous mix of the kind used for softbilled birds. Though this may not prevent this behaviour completely it might help. Spiny Mice also appear to have a very structured social heirachy which doesnt help the situation.: victory:


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## Cranwelli (Mar 24, 2009)

Ursus said:


> Hi , Spiny Mice , of all species , will readily consume "animal protein" , indeed I am certain it is a nutritional requirement. I have kept several species over many years and have found that occasionally they will eat their companions , whether they die first and then get eaten or whether they are attacked and eaten. I did provide mine with cooked chicken at times , mealworms and crucially I used to give mine an insectivorous mix of the kind used for softbilled birds. Though this may not prevent this behaviour completely it might help. Spiny Mice also appear to have a very structured social heirachy which doesnt help the situation.: victory:


Hi. Thanks for that. I've already increased the amount of protein in their diet by providing more mealworms (with egg shell in the same bowl to replace any lost calcium from them). I'll experiment with food and see what they take to. They don't seem too keen on gerbil mix even when incorporated with bird seed and mouse mix so that's probably best avoided. I'll start giving them some occasional meat.


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