118.

Berbera Gerbil

Gerbillus acticola

French: Gerbille de Berbera / German: Berbera-Rennmaus / Spanish: Gerbillo de Berbera

Taxonomy. Gerbillus acticola Thomas, 1918,

Berbera, Somalia.

Gerbillus acticola was considered a subspecies of G. pyramidum by F. Petter in 1975 and I. Ya. Pavlinov and colleagues in 1990, but D. M. Lay in 1983 returned its status to that of a valid species. The latter opinion was followed by G. G. Musser and M. D. Carleton in 2005, by D. C. D. Happold in 2013, and by A. Monadjem and colleagues in 2015. Monotypic.

Distribution. N Somalia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-104 mm, tail 124-142 mm, ear 15 mm, hindfoot 26-29 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. This small gerbil has a sandyorange dorsal pelage and a pure white ventral one. Tail is longer than body (c.140% of head-body length), bicolored, with a narrow pencil of brown and white hairsat tip. White hindfeet bear naked soles. On the skull, tympanic bullae are large and represent 37% of the maximum length of the skull. No genetic data available.

Habitat. Arid coastal plains with wells and sandy soils below 1000 m above sea level.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Reproduction may be seasonal, as juvenile individuals are found in April-May and November—-December.

Activity patterns. The Berbera Gerbil is probably nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List owing to a lack of knowledge ofthis species.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Lay (1983), Monadjem etal. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005), Pavlinov et al. (1990), Petter (1975a).