Species of rodent
Dunn's gerbil |
Conservation status |
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] |
Scientific classification |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Gerbillus |
Species: | G. dunni |
Binomial name |
Gerbillus dunni
Thomas, 1904 |
Dunn's gerbil (Gerbillus dunni) is a rodent species distributed mainly in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somaliland and Djibouti. It is an animal of dry grassland and rocky plains. It is also sometimes called the "Somalia gerbil", not to be confused with the Somalian gerbil or the Somali gerbil.
Dunn's gerbil was first described by the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas as Gerbillus dunni in 1904. Its karyotype is 2n=74.[2] Its natural habitat is not under threat and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Description
Dunn's gerbil is one of eight very similar species of gerbil native to northeastern Africa, the others being Berbera gerbil (G. acticola), Brockman's gerbil (G. brockmani), cushioned gerbil (G. pulvinatus), Harwood's gerbil (Dipodillus harwoodi), least gerbil G. pusillus, Somalian gerbil Dipodillus somalicus and Waters's gerbil (G. watersi). Dunn's gerbil can be distinguished from the others by the hairy soles to its hind feet. The head-and-body length is about 98 mm (3.9 in) and the tail 135 mm (5.3 in). The mass is about 38 g (1.34 oz).[3]
Distribution
Dunn's gerbil is native to the Horn of Africa. Its range includes Eritrea, Djibouti, eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia. Its typical habitat is bare or scantily-vegetated, rocky plains, dry grassland and dry savannah.[1]
Status
Dunn's gerbil is present in a large area of suitable habitat. No particular threats have been identified and the population is believed to be steady, and although it is seldom seen, its population is presumed to be large. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
References
- ^ a b c Schlitter, D (2008). "Gerbillus dunni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2015.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
- ^ Capanna, E.; Merani, M.S. (1981). "Karyotypes of Somalian rodent populations". Monitore Zoologico Italiano. 14 (1): 227–240. doi:10.1080/03749444.1981.10736623.
- ^ Ara Monadjem; Peter J. Taylor; Christiane Denys; Fenton P.D. Cotterill (2015). Rodents of Sub-Saharan Africa: A biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis. De Gruyter. pp. 540–542. ISBN 978-3-11-030191-5.
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Ammodillini | |
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Desmodilliscini | |
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Gerbillurini | Desmodillus | - Cape short-eared gerbil (D. auricularis)
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Gerbilliscus | - Cape gerbil (G. afra)
- Boehm's gerbil (G. boehmi)
- Highveld gerbil (G. brantsii)
- Guinean gerbil (G. guineae)
- Gorongoza gerbil (G. inclusus)
- Kemp's gerbil (G. kempi)
- Bushveld gerbil (G. leucogaster)
- black-tailed gerbil (G. nigricaudus)
- Phillips's gerbil (G. phillipsi)
- fringe-tailed gerbil (G. robustus)
- savanna gerbil (G. validus)
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Gerbillurus | - Hairy-footed gerbil (G. paeba)
- Namib brush-tailed gerbil (G. setzeri)
- dune hairy-footed gerbil (G. tytonis)
- bushy-tailed hairy-footed gerbil (G. vallinus)
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Tatera | - Indian gerbil (T. indica)
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Taterillini | Taterillus | - Robbins's tateril (T. arenarius)
- Congo gerbil (T. congicus)
- Emin's gerbil (T. emini)
- gracile tateril (T. gracilis)
- Harrington's gerbil (T. harringtoni)
- Lake Chad gerbil (T. lacustris)
- Petter's gerbil (T. petteri)
- Senegal gerbil (T. pygargus)
- Tranieri's tateril (T. tranieri)
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Gerbillina | Dipodillus | - Botta's gerbil (D. bottai)
- North African gerbil (D. campestris)
- Wagner's gerbil (D. dasyurus)
- Harwood's gerbil (D. harwoodi)
- James's gerbil (D. jamesi)
- Lowe's gerbil (D. lowei)
- Mackilligin's gerbil (D. mackilligini)
- greater short-tailed gerbil (D. maghrebi)
- rupicolous gerbil (D. rupicola)
- lesser short-tailed gerbil (D. simoni)
- Somalian gerbil (D. somalicus)
- Khartoum gerbil (D. stigmonyx)
- Kerkennah Islands gerbil (D. zakariai)
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Gerbillus | Subgenus Hendecapleura: | - Pleasant gerbil (G. amoenus)
- Brockman's gerbil (G. brockmani)
- black-tufted gerbil (G. famulus)
- Algerian gerbil (G. garamantis)
- Grobben's gerbil (G. grobbeni)
- pygmy gerbil (G. henleyi)
- Mauritanian gerbil (G. mauritaniae)
- Harrison's gerbil (G. mesopotamiae)
- Darfur gerbil (G. muriculus)
- Balochistan gerbil (G. nanus)
- large Aden gerbil (G. poecilops)
- principal gerbil (G. principulus)
- least gerbil (G. pusillus)
- sand gerbil (G. syrticus)
- vivacious gerbil (G. vivax)
- Waters's gerbil (G. watersi)
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Subgenus Gerbillus: | - Berbera gerbil (G. acticola)
- Agag gerbil (G. agag)
- Anderson's gerbil (G. andersoni)
- swarthy gerbil (G. aquilus)
- Burton's gerbil (G. burtoni)
- Cheesman's gerbil (G. cheesmani)
- Dongola gerbil (G. dongolanus)
- Dunn's gerbil (G. dunni)
- Flower's gerbil (G. floweri)
- lesser Egyptian gerbil (G. gerbillus)
- Indian hairy-footed gerbil (G. gleadowi)
- western gerbil (G. hesperinus)
- Hoogstraal's gerbil (G. hoogstraali)
- Lataste's gerbil (G. latastei)
- Sudan gerbil (G. nancillus)
- Nigerian gerbil (G. nigeriae)
- occidental gerbil (G. occiduus)
- pale gerbil (G. perpallidus)
- cushioned gerbil (G. pulvinatus)
- greater Egyptian gerbil (G. pyramidum)
- Rosalinda gerbil (G. rosalinda)
- Tarabul's gerbil (G. tarabuli)
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Microdillus | - Somali pygmy gerbil (M. peeli)
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Rhombomyina | Brachiones | - Przewalski's gerbil (B. przewalskii)
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Meriones | Subgenus Meriones: | - Tamarisk jird (M. tamariscinus)
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Subgenus Parameriones: | - Persian jird (M. persicus)
- king jird (M. rex)
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Subgenus Pallasiomys: | - Arabian jird (M. arimalius)
- Cheng's jird (M. chengi)
- Sundevall's jird (M. crassus)
- Dahl's jird (M. dahli)
- Moroccan jird (M. grandis)
- Libyan jird (M. libycus)
- midday jird (M. meridianus)
- Buxton's jird (M. sacramenti)
- Shaw's jird (M. shawi)
- Tristram's jird (M. tristrami)
- Mongolian jird (M. unguiculatus)
- Vinogradov's jird (M. vinogradovi)
- Zarudny's jird (M. zarudnyi)
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Subgenus Cheliones: | - Indian desert jird (M. hurrianae)
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Psammomys | - Sand rat (P. obesus)
- thin sand rat (P. vexillaris)
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Rhombomys | |
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incertae sedis | |
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Taxon identifiers |
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Gerbillus dunni | |
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