Böhm bare-sole gerbil
| Böhm bare-sole gerbil | ||||||||||||
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| Gerbilliscus boehmi | ||||||||||||
| ( Noack , 1887) |
The Böhm bare-sole gerbil ( Gerbilliscus boehmi ) is a rodent species from the subfamily of gerbils (Gerbillinae). It is native to tropical Africa. The species name refers to the German researcher Richard Böhm .
features
The Böhm bare-sole gerbil is a large gerbil with a head-to-trunk length of 139 to 179 mm. The tail length is 190 to 234 mm, the hind foot length 38 to 47 mm, the ear length 21 to 26 mm and the weight about 146 g. The skull length reaches 42.0 to 45.2 mm and the skull width 22.0 to 24.3 mm. The total length of the upper row of teeth from the first incisor to the third molar is 6.8 to 7.8 mm. The back fur is medium brown with black and ocher spots. The fur is darker on the midline than on the flanks. At the base, the hair is medium gray. The ends of the hair are black on the middle of the back and ocher on the flanks. The peritoneum is white. The color of the flanks and the peritoneum is sharply demarcated. The tips of the hair on the cheeks and shoulders are often cinnamon in color. The forehead and nasal region are dark brownish black. The eyes are big. The large ears are rounded and covered with short black hairs. The chin and insides of the limbs are white. The soles of the hind feet are bare and darkly pigmented. The thin tail is very long and about 30 percent longer than the head-torso length. The proximal half or two thirds of the tail is covered with short hairs, with the top dark and the underside white. The rear (terminal) half of the tail is pure white. Often the tail end ends in a tuft of white hair. The skull is big and tall. The incisors are arranged at right angles (orthodontically). Sometimes the upper incisors have two indistinct longitudinal furrows. The molars are wide, coated and relatively long. The arrangement of the teats is 2 + 1 = 6 or 2 + 2 = 8. The karyotype is not known.
distribution
The Boehm gerbil occurs from southwestern Kenya and southern Uganda to northern Mozambique as well as in Tanzania , Rwanda , Malawi , in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in western Zambia . It is probably also present in the Moxico province in eastern Angola .
habitat
The Boehm gerbil lives in woodland that is dominated by the genus Brachystegia , often at higher altitudes between 1000 and 2000 m, where a good cover of grass and herbaceous plants can be found. In Uganda it can also be found on grassy plains and in bush habitats. Isolated specimens have also been observed in banana plantations and in old millet fields.
Way of life
The Böhm gerbil is nocturnal. Their burrows have one or two entrances and are not marked by a mound of earth. Sometimes the burrows are used by other species of gerbil or by gray mulls ( Cryptomys ). Habitat and altitude distribution suggest that moderate climatic temperatures are required for survival. The Boehm gerbil is omnivorous . It feeds mainly on plant matter and insects. The breeding season is during the rainy season between November and May. Suckling females were observed in Zambia in November and Malawi in May, and pregnant females in May. One female examined had five embryos. Owls are among the predators of the Boehm gerbil.
status
The Böhm gerbil is classified by the IUCN as "not endangered" ( least concern ). It is widespread, but it is not known whether it occurs in protected areas.
literature
- David CD Happold: Boehm's gerbil. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold, Jan Kalina (eds.) Mammals of Africa. Volume 3: David CD Happold (Ed.): Rodents, hares and rabbits. Bloomsbury, London et al. 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 , pp. 272-273.
Web links
- Gerbilliscus boehmi in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2012. Posted by: D. Schlitter, 2008. Accessed August 12, 2013.