Gerbillus henleyi (De Winton, 1903)

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 : 43-45

Gerbillus henleyi (De Winton, 1903)

Common name: Pygmy gerbil.

Diagnosis: Very small (hence pygmy) gerbil with small ears. White patches above eye and behind ear. Dorsal color buff brown, under parts are white, with a distinct line of demarcation ( Figure 47 ). Soles of hind feet naked. Skull small and delicate, with strongly inflated bullae. Braincase very broad, with short rostrum. Teeth very small and delicate ( Figure 48 ).

Localities: Previous records. Al Jafr, Faidat Al Dhahik ( Atallah & Harrison, 1967); Al Hazīm, Al Jafr, Faydat ad Dahik, Ash Shawmarī ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003 a & b); Al Mudawwarah (Abu Baker & Amr, 2004); Ash Shawmarī Wildlife Reserve ( Abu Baker et al., 2005). Materials from owl pellets. Burqu' (Obuch, per. com.); Ash Shawmarī (Obuch, per. com.) ( Figure 49 ).

Habitat: Collected from Al Jafr area around cultivated fields (Atallah, 1978). This species prefers stony, gravelly falt deserts with ample vegetation. Its burrow is characterized by its small diameter (1–2 cm).

Biology: A female was found to have six embryos ( Atallah, 1967b). In the Negev, two distinct breeding periods were observed, one in the spring and the second in late summer. In comparison with other species of the genus Gerbillus , G. henleyi is more a seed eater, more mobile with a less stable home range than G. dasyurus . This suggests that G. henleyi is more adapted to xeric habitats than other gerbils (Shenbrot et al., 1994). The pygmy gerbil is the smallest rodent known to inhabit the Jordanian deserts. It was collected from the Hammada areas with scarce vegetation cover. G. henleyi is mostly associated with the sand jird, Meriones crassus and the three-toed Jerboa, Jaculus jaculus ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003a) . It was collected from Al Jafr and Al Mudawwarah area in southern Jordan and was also associated with the sand jird (Abu Baker & Amr, 2004).

Remarks: In coloration and skull proportions, this species is identical to G. h. mariae from Syria ( Abu Baker & Amr, 2003a). It differs from G. h. jordani from Tunisia by being more grayish and having the gray hair bases longer. This conclusion is also shared by Harrison & Bates (1991). G. henleyi shows a 2N=52 and FN=62. The karyotype includes 8 submetacentric and 42 acrocentric autosomes. The X and Y are large and medium sized submetacentric chromosomes, respectively ( Abu Baker et al., 2009).

Figures

FIGURE 47. The pygmy gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi (photo by Mohammad Abu Baker).

FIGURE 48.A. Dorsal,B. Ventral views for the skull, and C. Upper maxillary teeth for Gerbillus henleyi.

FIGURE 49. Distribution of the pygmy gerbil, Gerbillus henleyi.