Gerbillus hesperinus, Cabrera, 1906
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6887260 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6835967 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-3438-FF88-E468-279F740187DA |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Gerbillus hesperinus |
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Moroccan Gerbil
Gerbillus hesperinus View in CoL
French: Gerbille hespérine / German: Marokko-Rennmaus / Spanish: Gerbillo de Marruecos
Other common names: Western Gerbil
Taxonomy. Gerbillus hesperinus Cabrera, 1906 View in CoL ,
Mogador (= Essaouira), Morocco.
Morphological and cytogenetic characteristics of G. hesperinus are well documented in several studies. A. Ndiaye and colleagues, in their 2012 review of taxonomy of Moroccan Gerbillus , confirmed molecularly the validity of this species, sister taxon of which is G. hoogstraali . Monotypic.
Distribution. Known only from type locality in coastal Morocco. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-114 mm, tail 98-120 mm, ear 13-19 mm, hindfoot 20-28 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Moroccan Gerbil is a mediums-sized gerbil with hairy soles on hindfeet. Dorsal pelage is sandy brown with some gray hairs, and ventral pelage pure white like feet. Tail is long (115% of head—body length) and bicolored, and terminates in a small pencil. Tympanic bullae are small compared with those of the two other Moroccan endemics, namely Hoogstraal’s Gerbil ( G. hoogstraali ) and Occidental Gerbil ( G. occiduus ). Chromosomal complement has 2n = 58 and FNa = 78. Habitat. Wind-protected tops of coastal dunes with argan trees (Argania spinosa, Sapotaceae ) and Retama raetam ( Fabaceae ).
FAMILY MURIDAE Plate 35 True Mice and Rats, Gerbils and relatives Species Accounts
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. No information.
Activity patterns. The Moroccan Gerbil is probably nocturnal and terrestrial, digging burrows.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Moroccan Gerbil has not been trapped at type locality since 1980s. Recent expedition failed to capture it again. Itis estimated that the species occurs in an area ofless than 500 km? in two well-separated populations on either side of the highly touristic resort of Essaouira. There appear to be no protection measures.
Bibliography. Aulagnier & Thévenot (1986), Aulagnier et al. (2009), Benazzou & Genest-Villard (1980), Happold (2013a), Lay (1983), Ndiaye et al. (2012), Pavlinov et al. (1990).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
