Thin sand rat

The thin sand rat or lesser sand rat (Psammomys vexillaris) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.[2] It has also been previously named the pale sand rat based on work published by Oldfield Thomas in 1925.[3] It is found in Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, and its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and intermittent salt lakes.[2] The thin sand rat was previously classified as a subspecies of the fat sand rat. However, morphological differences in size and coat color between the two animals, along with recent molecular evidence suggest that they are different species. [2][4][5] The thin sand rat may be a natural reservoir for the disease leishmaniasis.[6]

Thin sand rat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Psammomys
Species:
P. vexillaris
Binomial name
Psammomys vexillaris
Thomas, 1925

References
  • L. Granjon (2016). "Psammomys vexillaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 894–1531. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  1. L. Granjon (2016). "Psammomys vexillaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2019.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Mostafa, Ben Hamou; Souha, Ben Abderrazak; Sabeh, Frigui; Noureddine, Chatti; Riadh, Ben Ismail (2006). "Evidence for the existence of two distinct species: Psammomys obesus and Psammomys vexillaris within the sand rats (Rodentia, Gerbillinae), reservoirs of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Tunisia". Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 6 (4): 301–308. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2005.09.002. PMID 16243007.
  3. Thomas, Oldfield (1925). "XX.On some of the species of Psammomys found in Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 16 (91): 197–199. doi:10.1080/00222932508633289.
  4. Ranck, Gary L. (1968). "The Rodents of Libya: Taxonomy, Ecology and Zoogeographical Relationships" (PDF). Bulletin of the United States National Museum.
  5. Cockrum, E. L.; Vaughan, P. J.; Vaughan, T. C. (1977). "Status of the pale sand rat, Psammomys vexillaris Thomas, 1925". Mammalia. 41 (3): 321–326. doi:10.1515/mamm.1977.41.3.321.
  6. Othman, Souad Ben; Ghawar, Wissem; Chaouch, Melek; Ayari, Chiraz; Chemkhi, Jomaa; Cancino-Faure, Beatriz; Tomás-Pérez, Miriam; Alcover, Maria Magdalena; Riera, Cristina; Salah, Afif Ben; Fisa, Roser; Ismail, Riadh Ben; Abderrazak, Souha Ben (2018). "First detection of Leishmania DNA in Psammomys obesus and Psammomys vexillaris: Their potential involvement in the epidemiology of leishmaniasis in Tunisia". Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 59: 7–15. doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2018.01.013. PMID 29413886.


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