Gerbillus rosalinda, St. Leger, 1929

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 637

123.

Rosalinda Gerbil

Gerbillus rosalinda

French: Gerbille rosalinda / German: Rosalinda-Rennmaus / Spanish: Gerbillo rosalinda

Other common names: Rosalind’s Gerbil

Taxonomy. Gerbillus rosalinda St. Leger, 1929 ,

145 km SW EI Obeid, Abu Zabad, Kordofan, Sudan.

Gerbillus rosalinda was considered on mor- phological grounds a distinct species by F. Petter in 1975, D. M. Lay in 1983, and I. Ya. Pavlinov and colleagues in 1990. Although no genetic data are available, D. C. D. Hap- pold in 2013 and A. Monadjem and team in 2015 kept it as a valid species pending further revision. Both Petter in 1975 and Monadjem and colleagues 40 years later found it to be very similar to G. agag . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from a few localities in C Sudan (Kordofan region) and WC Somalia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 87-106 mm, tail 105-130 mm, ear 13-16 mm, hindfoot 23-27 mm; weight 20-35 g. The Rosalinda Gerbil is a small member of genus having hairy soles of feet. Its general appearance is dark, with rusty-orange dorsal pelage and pure white ventral one. Top of head and nose are rusty-orange, contrasting with white cheeks, chin, throat, limbs and feet. Tail is long (120% of head-body length) and covered with dense short hairs, ending in narrow pencil of dark long hairs. Large auditory bullae (¢.36% of total length of skull).

Habitat. Dry grasslands of Somali-Masai vegetation zone.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Rosalinda Gerbil is probably nocturnal and terrestrial, digging burrows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List and probably not very abundant.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Lay (1983), Monadjem et al. (2015), Pavlinov et al. (1990), Petter (1975a), Roche (1978), Setzer (1956).

Figures

Distribution. Known only from a few localities in C Sudan (Kordofan region) and WC Somalia.