Gerbillurus setzeri
Setzer's hairy-footed gerbil

Gerbillurus setzeri is known throughout the Namib Desert in Africa. It ranges northward from the Kuiseb River to southern Angola.

(Dempster et. al., 1998; Wilson and Reeder, 1993)

The hairy-footed gerbil is a desert animal. It is most frequently found on gravel plains without vegetation. These animals prefer dry river beds where top soil is loose and gravely and the lower layers are compact. If population densities become too high, G. setzeri will create burrows in sand dunes.

G. setzeri creates burrow systems below the surface of the desert to avoid the harsh desert climate. Below the surface, temperatures remain constant near 26 degrees Celsius during the day and at night. The humidity is also higher in these burrow systems.

Ninety percent of the burrow systems created by the hairy-footed gerbil are complex. Complex burrow systems contain numerous side branches and multiple entrances. For diagrams of these burrow systems see Downs and Perrin (1989). G. setzeri burrows are among the longest and deepest of the Gerbillurus species.

(Dempster et. al. 1998; Downs and Perrin, 1989)

Setzer's hairy-footed gerbil is one of the more robust gerbil species. Its head is larger than the head's of other Gerbillurus species and its body length is longer. The average total body length is around 233 millimeters with the tail comprising an average of 127.4 millimeters of the total length. The hairy-footed gerbil also has the largest auditory bullae of all Gerbillurus species.

As the common name implies, the soles of the feet are covered with hairs, an adaptation seen in many desert dwelling mammals. The pelage is long and thick and matches the color of the desert in which it lives. The dorsal side is a light brown or beige color. The ventral side, limbs, and mouth region are white. The hairy-footed gerbil has a long bushy tail ending in a tuft of gray hairs.

(Dempster et. al., 1998; Nowak, 1999)

Many of the behaviors exhibited by Setzer's hairy-footed gerbil are adaptations to a harsh desert life. The hairy-footed gerbil is nocturnal and spends the day deep in its burrows away from the desert heat. When the shelter of the burrow does not keep the animals cool enough, they use their saliva to wet the area of fur on the neck and chest which then evaporates and cools the animal.

Gerbillurus setzeri frequently takes sandbaths. This consists of rolling and kicking up sand. They also dig, kicking sand with both front and hind feet.

The hairy-footed gerbil uses quadrupedal saltation (jumping) as a primary means of locomotion.

Ultrasonic vocalizations with frequencies of 39-49 kHZ are used in communication between animals. Young gerbils call to their mothers at frequencies of 45-55 kHZ. If the gerbils become alarmed they rapidly patter their back feet on the ground like drum rolls.

Many of the behaviors of G. setzeri have been recorded in a laboratory setting (Dempster and Perrin 1992). In experiments on social interactions between males and females, males fequently followed, sniffed, and mounted the females. Females tended to move away from the males and remain more inactive. Many interactions involved one animal exploring while the other watched. Both male and female subjects were observed to stand upright in aggressive and sexual encounters. Females were more aggressive in many of the experimental trials than males.

In lab settings Gerbillurus setzeri scatter hoards its food. This involves making several caches of food throughout a home range instead of having a cache at one specific site.

(Dempster, Dempster, and Perrin, 1992; Dempster et. al. 1998; Downs and Perrin, 1989; Nowak, 1999)

Gerbillurus setzeri consumes arthropods, plant material and seeds. Field researchers in central Namibia found leaves, dried flowers, dried fruits, seeds, chewed grass, remains of insects and beetles, and twigs in food caches from several G. setzeri burrows.

(Dempster et. al., 1998)

Many gerbil species do not come into contact with humans because they live deep in the deserts, but where humans and gerbils coexist, the gerbils can be very destructive to fields and crops. They can also carry deadly diseases.

(MacDonald, 1984)

Gerbils are popular pets.

Gerbillurus setzeri lives in the Namib Desert which is inhospitable for most mammals, including humans. Therefore, this species is relatively safe from habitat destruction and habitat loss.

One of the largest problems for desert-dwelling animals is conserving water. Gerbils conserve water by producing concentrated urine and feces which allows metabolic water to remain in the animal's system. Due to the physiology of its kidney, G. setzeri is able to produce more concentrated urine than any other Gerbillurus species.

(Dempster et. al. 1998)