Greater Egyptian gerbil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Greater Egyptian gerbil |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Gerbillus
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| Species: |
pyramidum
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The greater Egyptian gerbil (Gerbillus pyramidum) is a small rodent, which is a type of mammal. It belongs to the Muridae family, which includes mice and rats. You can find this gerbil in northern Africa. It loves living in sandy deserts, dry areas, and green oases. This gerbil is quite common. Experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say it's a "least concern" animal. This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
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What Does It Look Like?
The greater Egyptian gerbil is a small creature. Its body, from head to rump, is about 120 mm (5 in) long. Its tail is even longer, measuring around 156 mm (6 in).
Its fur on its back is usually orange or light brown. Each hair has a grey base with an orange or brown tip. Sometimes, you might see a darker stripe down the middle of its back. Its belly is white. It also has white markings around its eyes and ears. There might be a white patch on its rump too. Its feet are white, and the bottoms of its back feet are covered in hair. The tail often has a dark tuft of hair at the very end.
Where Does It Live?
The greater Egyptian gerbil lives across a large part of North Africa. Its home stretches from Mauritania and Mali in the west. From there, it goes east through Niger and Chad. You can also find it in Sudan, Egypt, and the Sinai Peninsula.
This gerbil prefers sandy deserts and other dry or semi-dry places. It also lives in palm groves and farmed areas. You can spot them in dunes, and on sandy or gravelly plains. They often dig their burrows near clumps of Panicum turgidum grass. They also like to burrow under Tamarix or umbrella thorn acacia trees. These gerbils are very common in the Nile Delta area. They also live in the Nile Valley and around oases.
Daily Life and Habits
The greater Egyptian gerbil is a nocturnal animal. This means it is most active at night. During the day, it stays safe in its burrow, which it digs itself. Its burrow is similar to the one dug by the lesser Egyptian gerbil. It can go quite deep, about 60 to 80 cm (24 to 31 in) underground.
These gerbils often live together in colonies. They eat seeds and grasses. They are smart and store some of their food inside their burrows for later.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
In Sudan, greater Egyptian gerbils usually have their babies between June and February. After a pregnancy of about 22 days, the mother gives birth. A typical litter has about three young gerbils. In captivity, meaning when they are cared for by humans, these gerbils can live for about two years.
Conservation Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has looked at the greater Egyptian gerbil. They have decided its conservation status is "least concern". This is good news!
It means the gerbil lives across a very wide area. Experts believe there are many of them in total. Even if their numbers go down a little, it's not expected to be a big problem. This gerbil is not currently at risk of becoming extinct.
