119.

Brockman’s Gerbil

Gerbillus brockmani

French: Gerbille de Brockman / German: Brockman-Rennmaus / Spanish: Gerbillo de Brockman

Taxonomy. Dipodillus brockmani Thomas, 1910,

“Burao, 85 miles [= 137 km], S. of Berbera,” Somalia .

Gerbillus brockmaniis in the subgenus Gerbillus and has been treated as a valid species by D. M. Lay in 1983, G. G.Musser and M. D. Carleton in 2005, D. C. D. Happold in 2013, and A. Monadjem and colleagues in 2015, pending possible further revision of its status. It is very similar to G. somalicus, which also lives in Somalia. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in N Somalia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 71-84 mm, tail 106-117 mm, ear 11-13 mm, hindfoot 21-22 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Brockman’s Gerbilis a small representative of the subgenus Gerbillus and has orange-brown dorsal pelage and a pure white ventral surface. Soles of hindfeet are naked. The long tail (140% of head— body length) ends with a small pencil. Brockman'’s Gerbil is characterized by very small dental rows and by very inflated tympanic bullae (37% of the maximum length of the skull). No chromosome or other genetic data are available.

Habitat. Dry, semiarid environment.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Brockman’s Gerbil is probably nocturnal and terrestrial, digging burrows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Lay (1983), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005), Petter (1975a).