Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Ordo: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohort: Theria
Cohort: Eutheria
Cohort: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Rodentia
Subordo: Myomorpha
Superfamilia: Muroidea
Familia: Muridae
Subfamilia: Gerbillinae
Genus: Taterillus
Species: Taterillus gracilis
Name
Taterillus gracilis Thomas, 1892
References
Links
Taterillus gracilis in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.
Granjon, L. 2016. IUCN: Taterillus gracilis (Least Concern) (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T21524A115162729. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T21524A22417076.en
Vernacular names
English: Gracile Tateril
The gracile tateril or slender gerbil (Taterillus gracilis) is a species of rodent found in Burkina Faso, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and possibly Cameroon. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, arable land, pastureland, and rural gardens. It is a common species, sometimes considered an agricultural pest, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]
Description
The gracile tateril is a small to medium-sized gerbil with a head-and-body length averaging 115 mm (4.5 in) and a tail averaging 156 mm (6.1 in). The muzzle is pointed and often has dark markings, the cheeks are white and there are white patches above and behind the eye. The eyes are large and the ears are long. The upper parts of the body are yellowish-brown or reddish-brown, the individual hairs having grey shafts, and golden yellow or orange-brown tips. The underparts are whitish, the hairs being grey near the base and white near the tip. The two areas of colour are clearly demarcated on the flanks. The feet are pale on the upper surface and the hind feet are dark and nearly naked below. The tail is clad in short hairs and has a bushy, dark-coloured "pencil" at its tip.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The gracile tateril has a wide distribution in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal in the west to Nigeria and western Chad.[1] Its typical habitat is dry savannah woodland and scrubland where the annual precipitation is at least 400 mm (16 in). It appreciates soils rich in clay and is often found in areas supporting trees and shrubs in the Combretaceae family.[2]
Ecology
The gracile tateril is nocturnal. It excavates a simple, unbranched and rather vertical, burrow. It is an omnivore, feeding mostly on seeds, leaves and stems, but also consuming insects, especially in the dry season. At this time of year it makes use of the bodily reserves of fat it has built up during the wet season.[2]
References
Granjon, L. (2008). "Taterillus gracilis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
Jonathan Kingdon; David Happold; Thomas Butynski; Michael Hoffmann; Meredith Happold; Jan Kalina (2013). Mammals of Africa. A&C Black. pp. 353–354. ISBN 978-1-4081-8996-2.
Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
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