Cypriot mouse

The Cypriot mouse (Mus cypriacus) is a species of mouse endemic to Cyprus. Its primary habitat seems to be the vineyards and fields of the Troödos Mountains region.

The mouse was recognized as a new species in 2004 by Thomas Cucchi, a research fellow at the University of Durham. It was formally described in 2006, in the journal Zootaxa.

The Cypriot mouse has characteristics that distinguish it from other European mice: bigger ears, eyes and teeth; DNA tests confirmed that it was a distinct species. Its closest relative is Mus macedonicus, native to southeastern Europe through the Levant.

"All other endemic mammals of Mediterranean islands died out following the arrival of man, with the exception of two species of shrew. The new mouse of Cyprus is the only endemic rodent still alive, and as such can be considered as a living fossil," said Cucchi. It Originally, Cucchi wanted to call it Mus Aphrodite, as Cyprus is the birthplace of Aphrodite according to Greek mythology.

It is the only endemic species of terrestrial mammal that was present on Cyprus during the Pleistocene to remain extant, with the three other species, the Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus, the Cyprus dwarf elephant, and the Cyprus genet becoming extinct at the end of the Pleistocene around 12-11,000 years ago, following the arrival of humans to the islands.