Gundis or comb rats are a group of small, stocky, African rodents in the family Ctenodactylidae. They live in rocky deserts across Northern Africa. The family comprises four living genera and five species (Speke's gundi, Felou gundi, Val's or desert gundi, common or North African gundi and Mzab gundi), as well as numerous extinct genera and species. They are in the superfamily Ctenodactyloidea. Local people in northern Africa have always known about gundis, however they first came to the notice of Western naturalists in Tripoli in 1774, and were given the name gundi mice. While they are not regarded as pests, some people hunt gundis for food. The genus name comes from Ancient Greek κτείς (kteís), meaning "comb", and δάκτυλος (dáktulos), meaning "finger".
Description
Gundis are from 17 to 18 cm in body length, with compact bodies covered in soft fur, short legs, and large eyes. They have only four toes on all feet and the middle toes of the hind feet carry comb-like bristles, which earned them the name "comb rat". Their incisors lack the layer of tough, orange, enamel found in other rodents, and they have a dental formula of:
Females typically give birth to two young at a time, after a gestation period of about two months. Because of the need to preserve moisture, female gundis produce only a small amount of milk, and the young are fully weaned by four weeks of age.
Fossils within Ctenodactylidae have been found in Asia, dating back to the mid-Eocene. Gundi fossils from the Pleistocene have been found in Asia, North Africa, and parts of Italy.
Taxonomy
- Ctenodactylidae
- Ctenodactylus
- Common gundi, Ctenodactylus gundi
- Val's gundi, Ctenodactylus vali
- Felovia
- Felou gundi, Felovia vae
- Massoutiera
- Mzab gundi, Massoutiera mzabi
- Pectinator
- Speke's pectinator, Pectinator spekei