POPULATION-DENSITY AND DIET OF THE SPINY MOUSE ACOMYS CF CAHIRINUS (RODENTIA) IN A DESERTIC AREA OF NORTHERN KENYA

Commensal and wild populations of the Spiny mouse Acomys cf. cahirinus were trapped in a desertic area of Northern Kenya. Spiny mice had opp ortunistic diets, seeds and arthropods being the most important food r esources exploited. Diets of commensal and wild individuals differed: wild individuals were mainly insectivores, while commensal individuals mainly fed on seeds, leaves and stems. Food was scarcer in the wild, due to overgrazing by cattle and goats, and to the persistant drought. These differences in diet probably reflect adaptations to the local c onditions.