129.

Mesopotamian Gerbil

Gerbillus mesopotamiae

French: Gerbille de Mésopotamie / German: Mesopotamien-Rennmaus / Spanish: Gerbillo de Mesopotamia

Other common names: Harrison's Gerbil

Taxonomy. Dipodillus dasyurus mesopotamiae Harrison, 1956,

near Amiriya, W bank Euphrates River, SW of Faluja, Iraq.

Gerbillus mesopotamiae was treated as a full species based on morphological grounds by D. L. Harrison in 1972, Harrison and P. J. J. Bates in 1991, D. M. Lay and C. F. Nadler in 1975, and G. G. Musser and M. D. Carleton in 2005. Few genetic data are available. It is very similar in morphology to G. nanus and G. dasyurus . Monotypic.

Distribution. Valleys of Tigris, Euphrates, and Karun rivers in extreme E Syria, Iraq, and SW Iran.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-91 mm, tail 85-121 mm, ear 11-16 mm, hindfoot 21-25 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Mesopotamian Gerbil is a medium-sized gerbil having large feet with naked soles. Dorsal pelage is reddish brown to grayish brown, flanks are russet, and ventral part is pure white;lips, lower cheeks, and forelimbs also are white. Some black cheek patches are present below ears. Long tail is bicolored and lacks terminal pencil or tuft of long hairs. Karyotype is 2n = 52.

Habitat. Sandy hills and dunes between desert and river near cultivated fields. The Mesopotamian Gerbil is never found far from water.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant females may be found throughout the year, and litters consist of 2-8 offspring (average 5-1). Young are naked and blind at birth; eyes open at 16 days and weaning starts at 24 days.

Activity patterns. The Mesopotamian Gerbil is crepuscular and nocturnal. Individuals have been seen to emerge at dusk from burrow systems, which are in communication with one another, and to move between them during the night. Burrows are dug in sparsely vegetated sandysoils, and are shallow in hard soil and deeper in soft soil; nests are in deepest part and made of plant material. Each burrow system has 3-5 (usually three) openings.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Mesopotamian Gerbil may be locally abundant and can be found in anthropogenic habitats. Development of intensive and irrigated cultivation in region, however, could become a threatfor this species.

Bibliography. Harrison (1972), Harrison & Bates (1991), Lay (1983), Lay & Nadler (1975), Musser & Carleton (2005).