Wagner gerbil

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Wagner gerbil
Systematics
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Gerbils (Gerbillinae)
Tribe : Gerbillini
Sub tribus : Gerbillina
Genre : Real gerbils ( Gerbillus )
Type : Wagner gerbil
Scientific name
Gerbillus dasyurus
( Wagner , 1842)

The Wagner's gerbil or Rauschwanz gerbil ( Gerbillus Dasyurus , Syn. : Dipodillus Dasyurus ) is a kind of gerbils . It was described in 1842 by Johann Andreas Wagner under the protonym Meriones dasyurus .

This species of gerbil inhabits the deserts and semi-deserts of Egypt , Sinai , Iraq , Syria , Jordan , Lebanon , Israel , southern Turkey , and the Arabian Peninsula .

Body features

The Wagner gerbil is a small gerbil with large eyes and a long tail . The fur is yellow-brown on top. The hair on the back and the sides of the body have a gray base and black tips. The underside of the body and the feet are white on the back. The soles of the feet are hairless and unpigmented. There are moderately developed white spots above the eyes and behind the ears. The over-body-long, otherwise sparsely hairy tail has a tassel at the end that is more pronounced than in other Dipodillus and Gerbillus species.

The sexes differ greatly in size and weight. While the females are about 70-90 mm long, the males can reach a length of up to 102 mm. Male Wagner gerbils can weigh up to 34 g. In addition to the nominate form, another subspecies Dd gallagheri that occurs in Oman and the UAE is listed. It differs from the nominate form in its darker color and the purple soles of the hind feet.

Way of life and behavior

Little is known about the way of life and behavior of the Wagner gerbil. Their habitat are open, dry steppes of short grass and areas with isolated shrubs . There they are closely tied to the occurrence of stones such as those in sand and limestone massifs. Sand dunes are avoided whenever possible. She builds burrows and tunnels in clay and sand soils. It has already been found in burrows of the Libyan gerbil ( Meriones libycus ). Two different types of structures are known: a simple structure with 1-3 aisles without a nest and a more complex structure with 4-5 aisles and a nest chamber. The species is crepuscular and nocturnal.

The Wagner gerbil feeds on various herbs and grasses, especially annual herbs such as snail clover . Likewise, it does not spurn insects and it also eats snails.

In Israel, the Wagner gerbil reproduces year-round with a break in December. The rate of reproduction depends on the food available. The gestation period is 18-22 days, the litter size varies between 2 and 6 animals.

Existence and endangerment

The IUCN lists the species as not endangered.

literature

Used literature:

  • Eckhard Grimmberger, Klaus Rudloff, Christian Kern: Atlas of the mammals of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East . Natur- und Tier-Verlag, Münster 2009, ISBN 978-3-86659-090-8 , p. 148 .
  • David L. Harrison: Gerbils from Iraq, with Description of a New Gerbil. In: Journal of Mammalogy . Vol. 37, No. 3, August 1956, ISSN  0022-2372 , pp. 417-422.
  • Mazin B. Qumsiyeh: Mammals of the Holy Land . Texas Tech University Press, Lubbock TX 1996, ISBN 0-89672-364-X .
  • Johann Andreas Wagner : Description of some new or less well-known rodents . In: Archives for Natural History . tape 1 , 1842, ISSN  0365-6136 , p. 1-33 ( online [accessed August 13, 2012]).
  • Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Johann Andreas Wagner: Description of some new or less known rodents . In: Archives for Natural History . tape 1 , 1842, p. 1–33, here p. 20 ( online [accessed August 13, 2012]).

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