Gerbillus (Gerbillus) andersoni de Winton 1902

Gerbillus (Gerbillus) andersoni de Winton 1902, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 9: 45.

Type Locality: Egypt, E Alexandria, Mandara.

Vernacular Names: Anderson's Gerbil.

Synonyms: Gerbillus (Gerbillus) allenbyi Thomas 1918; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) blanci Cockrum, Vaughn, and, Vaughn 1976; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) bonhotei Thomas 1919; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) eatoni Thomas 1902; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) inflatus Ranck 1968; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) versicolor Ranck 1968 .

Distribution: SW Jordan and Israel (Qumsiyeh, 1996; Mendelssohn and Yom-Tov, 1999), Egypt (Sinai Peninsula and Nile Delta south to El Faiyum as mapped for G. a. andersoni by Osborn and Helmy, 1980:120), Libya and Tunisia (Cockrum et al., 1976 b; Lay, 1983).

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable as G. allenbyi and G. bonhotei, Lower Risk (lc) as G. andersoni .

Discussion: Subgenus Gerbillus . The forms allenbyi, inflatus, and bonhotei have all been listed as synonyms of G. andersoni (e.g., Cockrum et al., 1976 b; Harrison and Bates, 1991; Osborn and Helmy, 1980; Pavlinov et al., 1990, 1995 a), but Lay (1983) argued that current evidence does not support the union of these forms and that allenbyi and bonhotei should be treated as species pending a revision. He also suggested that blanci and eatoni be tentatively associated with G. andersoni . We acknowledge the need for a critical new look at geographic variation in G. andersoni but include allenbyi, bonhotei and the other taxa listed above as synonyms following Pavlinov et al. (1990). Furthermore, Cockrum et al. (1976 b) provided credible evidence for uniting allenbyi, eatoni and other taxa with G. andersoni, as did Qumsiyeh (1996) for including allenbyi . Harrison and Bates (1991) recorded bonhotei from Jordan, an occurrence requiring corroboration according to Lay (1983). Qumsiyeh (1996) reviewed range, habitat, and biology of populations in Jordan and Israel.