Tarabul's gerbil (''Gerbillus tarabuli'') is a species of small
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
which is found in arid regions of north western Africa.
Description
Tarabul's gerbil is a small mouse like rodent with a long tail which ends in a tuft. It has tawny fur on the dorsal surface and white fur on its ventral surface which is clearly demarcated. The ears are plain with no black tips a white spot just behind them and the soles of its feet bear hair. The
sympatric occidental gerbil ''Gerbillus occiduus'' has ears with black tips and no spot behind them.
The head and body length averages 102.9mm and the tail length averages 148.4mm.
Distribution
Tarabul's gerbil is found from northern
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 井仆井內丐中五 (Senegaali); Arabic: 塈堻媞塈 ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''R矇ewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 井仆不丐仆不五 ...
,
Mauritania,
Western Sahara
Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the ...
and
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...
east to
Tibesti Mountains
The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Koussi, lies to the south at a height of and i ...
of
Chad in the south and to
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, 堥堭堜, Barqah, grc-koi, 庢彖帢庥峸 帢巹帢Kurna簿k廎 parkh穩}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
in eastern
Libya
Libya (; ar, 堥塈, L蘋biy), officially the State of Libya ( ar, 堹堜 堥塈, Dawlat L蘋biy), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
in the north.
[ The recently noted extension of its range into northern Senegal may be an indicator of increased desertification.][
]
Habitat
Tarabul's gerbil occurs in sandy desert and semi-desert areas, as well as coastal steppe.
Habits
Tarabul's gerbil is a nocturnal species that digs complex, shallow burrows (1525 cm in length) in the sand and which plugs the entrance to its burrow during the day. It breeds during throughout the rainy season, July to September, beginning breeding at the end of the coll dry season in April and ending at the start of the cool dry season in November. Barn owls ''Tyto alba'' have been recorded as preying on this species.[
]
Taxonomy
Tarabul's gerbil was considered to be a junior taxonomic synonym of the greater Egyptian gerbil
The greater Egyptian gerbil (''Gerbillus pyramidum'') is a small rodent in the family Muridae. It is native to northern Africa where it inhabits sandy deserts, semi-arid areas and oases. It is a common species, and the International Union for Co ...
''Gerbillis pyramidus'' but has a different chromosome count of 40 rather than 38 and differs morphologically.[
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q306809
Gerbillus
Rodents of Africa
Mammals described in 1902
Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas