Gerbillus (Gerbillus) gerbillus (Olivier 1801)

[Gerbillus (Gerbillus)] gerbillus (Olivier 1801), Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris, 2: 121.

Type Locality: Egypt, Giza Province.

Vernacular Names: Lesser Egyptian Gerbil.

Synonyms: Gerbillus (Gerbillus) aegyptius Desmarest 1804; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) aeruginosus Ranck 1968; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) asyutensis Setzer 1960; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) discolor Ranck 1968; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) foleyi Heim de Balsac 1936; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) hirtipes Lataste 1881; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) longicaudus (Wagner 1843); Gerbillus (Gerbillus) psammophilous Ranck 1968; Gerbillus (Gerbillus) sudanensis Setzer 1956 .

Distribution: From SW Jordan and S Israel through Egypt, N Sudan (Yalden et al., 1996) and Djibouti to Morocco and SW Mauritania; also N and S Mali, N Niger, and N Chad (see Aulagnier and Thevenot, 1986; Corbet, 1978 c; Dobigny et al., 2002 b; Granjon et al., 2002 b; Harrison and Bates, 1991:283; Mendelssohn and Yom-Tov, 1999; Osborn and Helmy, 1980:131; Pearch et al., 2001; Qumsiyeh, 1996).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Subgenus Gerbillus . Geographic portions reviewed by Ranck (1968, Libya), Corbet (1978 c), Lay (1983), Kowalski and Rzebik-Kowalska (1991, Algeria), Osborn and Helmy, 1980, Egypt), Djibouti (Pearch et al., 2001), Saleh and Basuony (1998, Sinai Peninsula), Qumsiyeh (1996, Israel and Jordan) and Harrison and Bates (1991, Arabian Peninsula). Meinig (2000) reported G. gerbillus from an isolated sand-belt in S Mali. In 1983, Lay drew attention to the lack of inquiry into variation in this species, which has such an extensive range; that complaint stands today and the species needs careful taxonomic review. The form hirtipes was synonymized with G. gerbillus by Cockrum (1976 a), but because of his inadequate documentation, Lay (1983) was reluctant to accept this union. Cockrum's evidence is scanty, but we are swayed by Kowalski and Rzebik-Kowalska's (1991) argument for merging hirtipes with G. gerbillus . Lay (1983) listed aegyptius as incertae sedis, but Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951) and Corbet (1978 c) placed it in the synonymy of G. gerbillus . Lay (1983) also treated longicaudus as incertae sedis, but Cockrum and Setzer (1976) quoted Thomas as having seen the holotype in Munich and identifying it as G. gerbillus . The origin of multiple sex chromosomes in this species was discussed by Wahrman et al. (1983); karyotype (2n = 42/43, FNa = 72) similar in samples from Niger, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Israel, and Egypt (see references in Dobigny et al., 2002 b). Reviewed by Pavlinov et al. (1990), who also treated the above-listed taxa as synonyms. Ecology and aspects of membership in small mammal community of coastal SW Mauritania reported by Granjon et al. (2002 b).