Gerbillus dasyurus (Wagner 1842)

Amr, Zuhair S., Abu, Mohammad A., Qumsiyeh, Mazin & Eid, Ehab, 2018, Systematics, distribution and ecological analysis of rodents in Jordan, Zootaxa 4397 (1), pp. 1-94 : 38-40

Gerbillus dasyurus (Wagner 1842)

Common name: Wagner's gerbil.

Diagnosis: Dorsum brown gray, underside white with a distinct line of demarcation. Distinct white patches behind ears and above eye present ( Figure 41 ). Soles of hind feet devoid of hair. Bases of hair, above tail, grayish. Tail long, covered with hair and terminating with a pencil. Four pairs of mammae. Skull of this species is very similar in size to that of G. nanus , however, clearly distinguished by its smaller tympanic bulla (GSL between 26.4–30.1, TBL 8.1–10.4, TBW 4–5.2mm). Posterior margin of mastoid chamber never extends to the level of supraoccipital bone. Posterior mastoid chamber small. Zygomatic arches slender and delicate. Posterior occipital bone slightly constricted. Inferior posterior mastoid chamber extends down to the paraoccipital process ( Figure 42 ).

Localities: Previous records. Mountains of Moab (Nehring, 1902); ‘Ain Musa, Bir ed-Doleh, Petra, Wādī Al Ḩasā ( Allen, 1915); Al Jafr, N ‘Aqaba, Azraq, Jarash, Petra, Ra’s an Naqb, Wādī Mūsá, (Atallah, 1978); Al Muwaqqar (Amr & Saliba, 1985); Ash Shawmarī, ‘Aqaba, S Azraq, Ghawr Nimrin (Qumsiyeh et al., 1986); Wādī Rajil (Searight, 1987); Ash Shawmarī, ‘Aqaba, King Husayn Bridge, Prince Mohammed Bridge ( Amr & Disi, 1988); Burqu' (Harrison & Bates, 1991); Al Lajjun, Al Wisad, Azraq ed Duruz, Buqay’awiyah, Burqu', Jāwá, ar Ruwayshid, Wādī Salma ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003a & b); El Quweira, Ad Dīsah, Al Mudawwarah (Abu Baker & Amr, 2004); Ḑānā Biosphere Reserve (Yousef & Amr, 2005); Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve ( Abu Baker et al., 2005). Materials recovered from owl pellets. Ex. Athene noctua, Wādī Al Hashad (Al-Melhim et al., 1997) ; Ex. Bubo bubo ascalaphus, Faydat ad Dahik (Rifai et al., 2000); Ex. Tytoalba, Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003a); Ex. Athene noctua, Mukwer (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Athene noctua, Qaşr Al Kharanah (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Athene noctua, Qaşr al Ḩallābāt (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Athene noctua, Ḑānā Biosphere Reserve (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Bubo bubo, Marj el Hamam (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Bubo bubo and Tyto alba, Ash Shawmarī (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Tyt oalba, Ḑānā Biosphere Reserve (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Tyto alba, Wādī Al Barra (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix aluco , Iraq al Wahaj (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Petra, Wādī am Numayr (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Petra, Wādī am Numayr (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Petra, Wādī Khariobsa (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Wādī Ramm (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Wādī Ibn Hammad (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Ar Rājif, Wādī Suweid (Obuch per. com.); Ex. Strix butleri, Ḑānā (Obuch per. com.). New records. Ernbeh, Fifa, Jabal Masuda PA, Ma'an, Marab Omish,Qatar PA, Raḩmah, Wādī Al-Mujib ( Figure 43 )

Habitat: Wagner's gerbil inhabits a wide range of habitats including basalt deserts, sand stone mountains, hammada deserts, and temperate areas within the Mediterranean mountains. This gerbil is a very common species in the Jordanian Desert. It was also collected from several localities along the western mountains. It was found to share burrows with P. obesus ( Atallah, 1967b; Amr & Saliba, 1986). Hatough-Bouran (1990) studied the burrowing habits of Wagner's gerbil in the Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve near Azraq. The burrows were simple but deep, burrows had 1–2 unplugged emergency exists. Stored plant found includes Anabasis articulata , Atriplex halimus and Artemisia sieberi ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003b) . This species is also found along run-off wadis. Recent studies in the eastern desert conducted during 2010 indicated the preference of this species to wadi beds with hard soil. Furthermore, In the Negev, Shenbrot et al. (1997) reported that Wagner's Gerbil inhabits six different types of habitats including sand dunes, dry wadi beds, flat gravel plains, limestone cliffs and rocks and narrow wadis and hills.

Biology: Reproduction occurs almost all year-round and pauses in December. Gestation lasts for 18–22 days with a litter size of 3–7 new borne (Shenbort et al., 1997). In Turkey, it prefers rocky areas with sparse vegetated soil (Çolak et al., 1999). They determined that the reproductive periodextends over January to September, withlitter size ranging between 3 to 9 (average 5.66).

Remarks: G. dasyurus exhibits a 2N=60 and FN=71 (male specimen). The karyotype consists of 4 metacentric, 6 submetacentric and 48 acrocentric autosomes. The X and Y are large metacentric and small telocentric chromosomes, respectively ( Abu Baker et al., 2009). Qumsiyeh et al. (1986) obtained 2n=60 with FN=66, 68, and 70 for specimens collected from various localities from Jordan. Previous placement of dasyurus under the genus Dipodillus was under scrutiny. However, Abiadh et al. (2010) rejected the genus rank for the taxon Dipodillus based on molecular phylogeny analysis and that dasyurus should be assigned as G. dasyurus .

Figures

FIGURE 41. Wagner's gerbil, gerbillus dasyurus (photo by Mohammad AbuBaker).

FIGURE 42. A. Dorsal,B. Ventral, C. Lateral views of the skull, and D. Upper maxillary teeth for Gerbillus dasyurus.

FIGURE 43.Distribution of Wagner's gerbil, Gerbillus dasyurus.