Gerbillus (Hendecapleura) pusillus Peters 1879

Gerbillus (Hendecapleura) pusillus Peters 1879, Monatsb. K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1879: 201.

Type Locality: Kenya, Ndi and Kitui.

Vernacular Names: Least Gerbil.

Synonyms: Gerbillus (Hendecapleura) diminutus Dollman 1911; Gerbillus (Hendecapleura) percivali Dollman 1914; Gerbillus (Hendecapleura) ruberrimus Rhoads 1896 .

Distribution: Tanzania (Swynnerton and Hayman, 1951), Kenya, Ethiopia, and S Sudan (Dieterlen and Nikolaus, 1985).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc) as G. diminutus, G. percivali, G. ruberrimus, and G. pusillus .

Discussion: Subgenus Hendecapleura . Roche (1975) united these three synonyms with G. pusillus based upon his study of original descriptions and specimens, and F. Petter (1975 b) suggested that all three probably represented G. pusillus . Lay (1983), however, listed G. pusillus and all three synonyms as separate monotypic species pending a revision. We prefer Roche’s conclusion as the hypothesis to be tested because it was derived from specimen examination. Chromosomal data documented by Capanna and Merani (1981). Reviewed by Pavlinov et al. (1990), who also accepted Roche’s synonyms.