Ctenodactylus gundi, the North African gundi, can be found in Southeastern Morocco, Northern Algeria, Tunisia and Libya (Macdonald, 1984; Walker, 1975).

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

The North African gundi ranges in size from 16-20cm for its head body length. It has a tiny tail, a mere whisp of hairs that is about 10 to 20mm long.

Gundis have very short legs, flat ears, big eyes, and long whiskers. It has been said that when seen crouched on a rock in the sun with the wind blowing through their fur, they look like powder puffs (Macdonald, 1984). They have compact bodies, resembling guinea pigs in external appearance. Each of their feet has four digits, the two inner digits of the hind foot have comblike bristles that stand out against their dark claws. The claws are not enlarged but are very sharp (Walker, 1975).

The skull of the North African gundi is broad posteriorly. It has a straight palate. The cheek teeth are rootless (ever growing) and they have the following dental formula: 1/1 0/0 1-2/1-2/ 3/3 X2= 20 or 24 (Walker, 1975).

Range mass: 175 to 195 g.

• Terrestrial

The North African gundi is found in deserts with arid rock outcrops. Its habitat may also include a rocky slope on a hill or mountain (Macdonald, 1984; Walker, 1975).

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune

The diet of C. gundi consists of a variety of vegetation. Leaves, stalks, flowers, and the seeds of almost any desert plant (including grass and acacia) are used as sustenance (Macdonald, 1984).

Typically, gundis forage over long distances due to the scarcity of food available in their desert habitats. They may forage up to 1 kilometer (.6 mi) per morning. Their home range size varies from a few square meters to 3 square kilometers (1.9 sq mi) (Macdonald, 1984).

Regular foraging is essential because gundis do not store food. When long foraging expeditions are necessary gundis alternate feeding in the sun and cooling off in the shade. In extreme drought gundis eat at dawn when plants contain the most moisture.

Interestingly, gundis do not drink. They get most of their water intake from the plants they eat (Macdonald, 1984; Walker, 1975). Their kidneys have long tubules for absorbing water and their urine can be concentrated if plants dry out completely. However, this is an emergency response and can only be sustained for a limited time period (Macdonald, 1984).

Another interesting fact about their foraging foraging is that while most rodents are good gnawers, gundis are not because they lack the hard orange enamel on the outer surfaces of their incisors (Macdonald, 1984).

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 5.8 years.

Female gundis have a gestation period of forty days. The mother has four nipples, two on her flanks and two on her chest. She usually has a litter size of two. The babies are born fully furred and with their eyes open. The young have few opportunities to suckle as they are weaned on chewed leaves starting with their mother's first foraging expedition after birth. They are fully weaned after four weeks. Weaning probably occurs so soon after birth because the mother has little milk to spare in the dry heat of the desert (Macdonald, 1984).

Average birth mass: 29.9 g.

Average gestation period: 74 days.

Average number of offspring: 1.9.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 319 days.

This species is not on the endangered species list.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

North African gundis could potentially be destructive to crops, gardens and such where their ranges overlap with human habitation.

In the mid-19th century the explorer John Speke shot gundis in the coastal hills of Somalia. It is not known if this was done for sport or for food, but potentially gundis could be used as both (Macdonald, 1984).

It is known that some Arabian tribes hunt gundis for food during the twilight hours (Walker, 1975).