Tiny gerbil

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Tiny gerbil
Systematics
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Gerbils (Gerbillinae)
Tribe : Gerbillini
Sub tribus : Gerbillina
Genre : Real gerbils ( Gerbillus )
Type : Tiny gerbil
Scientific name
Gerbillus pusillus
Peters , 1878

The tiny gerbil ( Gerbillus pusillus ) is a type of real gerbil that weighs only about 13 grams. It occurs mainly in South Sudan , southwest Ethiopia and Kenya , but also in steppe areas of Tanzania . This animal is known locally under the name "Mbadya" ( Kigogo ) or "Mogulla" ( Kitaita and Kisagalla ).

features

The tiny gerbil is a very small type of gerbil with a head-to-trunk length of 65 to 77 millimeters and a weight of around 13 grams. The tail has a length of about 110 millimeters. The back fur of the animals is long and soft. It is bright dark cinnamon-colored to dark rust-brown with black washings. The single hairs are medium gray at the base, rust brown in the middle and often with black tips. The sides of the body are paler and the abdomen is white, with the sides of the body sharply delineated from the abdomen. The head and nose are also rusty brown, behind the eyes there is an inconspicuous white spot. The cheeks, chin, throat, and legs are white. The soles of the feet are hairless. The long tail in relation to the body (the tail length is about 160% of the head-trunk length) is rust-brown to ginger-brown on the top, paler on the underside. In the back third of the tail, longer rusty brown hairs form a brush.

The tiny gerbil resembles Harwood's gerbil ( Gerbillus harwoodi ), which is roughly larger with an average head-trunk length of 75 millimeters and a shorter tail (95% of the head-trunk length). The Percivals gerbil ( Gerbillus percivali ), which is restricted to Kenya, is also somewhat larger, but has an equally long tail (145% of the head-torso length).

distribution

The distribution area of ​​the tiny gerbil is limited to sub-Saharan Africa. It is known from isolated regions in Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan .

Way of life

Very little information is available about the way of life of the tiny gerbil. It lives in open grasslands and steppe areas, as well as in rocky areas with little vegetation.

Systematics

The tiny gerbil is classified as an independent species within the genus of real gerbils ( Gerbillus ), which consists of around 35 species. Was first described scientifically the way in 1878 by Wilhelm Peters , who based on individuals from Ndi and Kitui described in Kenya. It is occasionally referred to as Gerbillus diminutus and Gerbillus percivali .

Threat and protection

The tiny gerbil is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified with the large distribution area and the assumed large stocks of the species that are not in decline. Concrete data on the stocks and population sizes are not available, however, there are no known risks that could endanger the stocks.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c D.CD Happold: Gerbillus pusillus - Least Gerbil. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, p. 325; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
  2. ↑ a b c Gerbillus pusillus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: D. Schlitter, L. Granjon, 2004. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  3. ↑ Gerbillus pusillus ( Memento from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

literature

DCD Happold: Gerbillus pusillus - Least Gerbil. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, p. 325; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

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