Boehm's gerbil

The Boehm - nude sole gerbil ( Gerbilliscus boehmi ) is a rodent species from the subfamily of gerbils ( Gerbillinae ). It is native in tropical Africa. The species name refers to the German explorer Richard Boehm.

Features

The Boehm - nude sole gerbil is a great gerbil, which reaches a head-body length of 139-179 mm. The tail length is 190-234 mm, the Hinterfußlänge 38 to 47 mm, the ear length 21 to 26 mm and weight about 146 g The skull length reaches 42.0 to 45.2 mm and the width of the skull from 22.0 to 24.3 mm. The entire length of the upper row of teeth of the first cutting tooth and a third molar of 6.8 to 7.8 mm. The back coat is medium brown with black and ocher spots. At the centerline of the skin is darker than at the edges. At the base of the hairs are medium gray. The hair tips are black at the center back and ocher on the flanks. The peritoneum is white. The coloring of the edges and the peritoneum is sharply defined. The hair tips on the cheeks and shoulders are often cinnamon. The forehead and the nose region are dark brownish- black. The eyes are large. The large ears are round and covered with short black hairs. The chin and the inner sides of the limbs are white. The hind feet are naked and dark pigmented. The thin tail is very long, and about 30 percent longer than the head-body length. The proximal ( proximal ) half or two thirds of the tail are covered with short hairs, the upper side dark and the underside is white. The posterior ( terminal ) half of the tail is pure white. Often the tail ends in a tuft of white hair. The skull is large and high. The incisors are arranged at right angles ( orthodont ). Sometimes the upper incisors have two indistinct longitudinal furrows. The molars are wide, coated and relatively long. The arrangement of the teat is 2 1 = 6 and 2 2 = 8 The karyotype is not known.

Dissemination

The Boehm - nude sole gerbil comes from southwestern Kenya and Uganda south to northern Mozambique and Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi, in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo and western Zambia ago. Probably it is also present in the Moxico province in eastern Angola.

Habitat

The Boehm - nude sole gerbil inhabited woodland, which is dominated by the genus Brachystegia, often at higher altitudes between 1000 and 2000 m, where a good blanket is to find grass and herbaceous plants. In Uganda, it is also found on grassy plains and bush habitats. Partly specimens were also observed in banana plantations and in old millet fields.

Way of life

The Boehm - nude sole gerbil is nocturnal. Build your have one or two inputs and are not marked by a mound of earth. Sometimes the burrows of other gerbil species or from Gray Mullen ( Cryptomys ) are used. Habitat and altitudinal distribution suggest that moderate climatic temperatures for survival are required. The Boehm - nude sole gerbil is omnivorous. It feeds mainly on vegetable matter and insects. The breeding season is during the rainy season from November to May Lactating females were observed in November in Zambia and Malawi in May, pregnant females in May. A -studied females had five embryos. Among the predators of the Boehm - nude sole gerbil include owls.

Status

The Boehm - nude sole gerbil is by the IUCN as " not at risk " ( least concern ) classified. It is widespread, but it is not known whether it occurs in protected areas.