The habitat, abundance and burrowing habits of the gerbil, Tatera robusta, in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Abstract

Observation of burrows and survey trapping showed that the gerbil T. robusta was the dominant and most abundant rodent in the short grassland plains of the Seregeti National Park. This gerbil occurred all along the slopes of catenas and was absent in the bottom valleys that were seasonally flooded. Live trapping and observations by torchlight showed that gerbils were active throughout the night. Burrowing activities of the gerbils resulted in patches of land denuded of grass.