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The Bushveld Gerbil gets its name from its association with savanna grassland and woodland. It has the characteristic gerbil appearance: long back legs which enable it to perform impressive leaps, and large eyes which are essential for its nocturnal lifestyle. They usually have reddish-brown upperparts, and white underparts. They excavate and live in burrows: the typical burrow of a bushveld gerbil has its entrance at the base of a shrub or clump of grass. Each morning there is a fresh mound of soil at this entrance, as they clean out their homes nightly. Warrens consisting of interconnecting burrows have resting chambers lined with vegetable debris. Where the soil is too hard for digging, the gerbil settles in the hole of a termite mound, a crevice among tree roots, or some other natural shelter. Bushveld gerbils are omnivorous: they feed on the seeds of grasses and other vegetation and on small bulbs, as well as insects, including termites. Litters of up to nine young are born in the burrows at any time of the year. More facts about Bushveld Gerbils WHERE FOUND: Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe) |
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