Little bare-soled gerbils
| Little bare-soled gerbils | ||||||||||||
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| Thomas , 1910 |
Small bare-sole gerbils ( Taterillus ) are a genus of long-tailed mice with around eight species that occur in Africa .
features
These gerbils have a remarkably long tail and large ears. They reach a head-torso length of 10 to 14 cm, a tail length of 14 to 17.5 cm and a weight of about 50 g. The color of the fur on the back varies between red-brown, yellow-brown and dark brown, sometimes with olive green shades. The animals are lighter on the sides of the body and the belly and limbs are whitish. The long tail has a well developed tassel at the end and is darker towards the rear. In contrast to the German trivial name and as a distinguishing feature from the actual bare-sole gerbils ( Gerbilliscus ), the soles of the feet are not completely bare.
Way of life
Small bare-soled gerbils are mainly found in dry bush savannahs . They were also found in dry and damp forests. These animals dig underground burrows and are mainly active at night. Most of their diet consists of seeds and insects . Each specimen has its own territory, but the areas of males and females overlap.
The reproductive behavior is mainly known from the Senegal gerbil ( Taterillus pygargus ). In this species, the young are born between September and March in wet weather. Females can have several litters in a period. After a gestation of around three weeks, four young are usually born. After the young animals have left their mother, they need about 3 to 5 months before they can establish their own territory.
Species, distribution and status
The IUCN differentiates between eight species, all of which are classified as not endangered ( least concern ).
- The bare-sole gerbil ( Taterillus arenaris ) lives in West Africa from western Niger to the Atlantic in Mauritania .
- Congo barefoot gerbil ( Taterillus congicus ) lives mainly in the Central African Republic and neighboring areas in neighboring countries.
- Emin's bare-sole gerbil ( Taterillus emini ) occurs in East Africa from central Sudan to northern Tanzania .
- Taterillus gracilis is found in West Africa from West Chad to Senegal .
- Lake Chad barefoot gerbil ( Taterillus lacustris ) lives southwest of Lake Chad in northeastern Niger and northern Cameroon .
- Petter's bare-sole gerbil ( Taterillus petteri ) occurs in Burkina Faso , southern Mali and western Niger.
- Senegal bare-sole gerbil ( Taterillus pygargus ) has two separate ranges, one in Senegal and the other in southwestern Niger.
- Tranieri gerbil ( Taterillus tranieri ) is known to date from southern Mauritania and neighboring Mali.
Harrington's bare-sole gerbil ( T. e. Harringtoni ), which has received species status from various zoologists, is listed by the IUCN as a subspecies of Emin's bare-sole gerbil.
Reference literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. 1999, p. 1451.
- ↑ a b Taterillus in the IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Accessed November 24, 2012.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): 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 (English, Taterillus ).