Felovia vae (Lataste, 1886)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Ctenodactylidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 288-299 : 297-298

3.

Felou Gundi

Felovia vae

French: Goundi de Félou / German: Senegal-Gundi / Spanish: Gundi de Félou

Other common names: Senegal Gundi

Taxonomy. Massoutiera (Felovia) wvae Lataste, 1886 ,

“Felou Senegalis” (= ¢.410 km north-west of Bamako, Mali).

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. C Mauritania, W Mali, and E Senegal, geographically isolated from the other gundis.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 169-190 mm, tail 67-80 mm; weight up to 188 g. External characteristics of Felou Gundi are generally similar to other gundi species. It can be distinguished from all living ctenodactylids by strongly grooved upper incisors and less inflated auditory bullae. Pinnae resemble those of Speke’s Gundi ( Pectinator spekei ), but the Felou Gundi has a shorter, flattened head, bordered with hairs. The Felou Gundi has a furry tail, longer than tails of other gundi species except Speke’s Gundi. Both species differ from the other gundi species by having short angular processes in their mandibles.

Habitat. Rocky areas where rainfall is relatively high (more than 600 mm/year) for a semi-desert habitat but also areas with scarce and seasonal rains. The Felou Gundi is found in river canyons, fissures of sandstone hills, and among boulders and cliffs.

Food and Feeding. The Felou Gundiis herbivorous. It lives in less hostile areas than the Mzab Gundi ( Massoutiera mzabi ) and the Desert Gundi ( Ctenodactylus vali ). Thus, the Felou Gundi experiences seasons of relatively high abundance of food, followed by months of scarcity. It feeds on leaves of the leguminous shrub Tephrosia mossiensis ( Fabaceae ), dropped stalks offig trees, leaves, dry grass, and seeds in the dry season. The Felou Gundi is the only gundi species that has been seen drinking from oasis and water ponds in Mauritania.

Breeding. Reproduction of the Felou Gundi is poorly known. Births have been suspected to occur in mid-December—January. All knownlitters are singletons.

Activity patterns. Similarly to the other gundis, Felou Gundis mainly sunbathe, forage, rest in the shade, and groom. A Felou Gundi was seen sunbathing in a rock with a surface temperature of 38°C. The Felou Gundi and the Common Gundi may tolerate higher temperatures than other gundi species, which may be related to availabilities of plants with higher water content.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Felou Gundi lives in small family groups, sharing a territory of ¢.3000 m* with other nearby family groups. It lives in relatively dense colonies depending on the area (up to 25 ind/ha in Mali but much less in central Mauritania). Felou Gundis live in permanent shelters; they still occur at the same place where Lataste discovered them in 1885. Due to their flat and compressible thorax, all gundis are capable of flattening into narrow crevices of ¢.25 mm when threatened (even narrower for the Felou Gundi and Speke’s Gundi). Felou Gundis are noisy and emit alert calls that can go on for one-half hour.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. A study by C. G. Vale and colleagues in 2012 concluded that the Felou Gundi was not threatened. Drought and general desertification and deforestation of the Sahel may threaten the Felou Gundi, mainly because ofits link to water availability. Felou Gundis may have been affected by past droughts (e.g. 1970s), and continued decrease in habitat quality is expected in the future because of climate change. Assessment of populations of Felou Gundis projected for the next two decades, taking into account probability of more frequent or severe droughts within its distribution,still suggests populations above the IUCN threshold given for threatened taxa.

Bibliography. Aulagnier (2008b), Dieterlen (2005b), George (1974, 1978, 1981a, 2001), Gouat (2013), Granjon & Duplantier (2011), Honigs & Greven (2003), Lopez-Antonanzas & Knoll (2011), Padial & Telleria (2009), Vale et al. (2012).

Figures

1. Speke’s Gundi (Pectinator spekei), 2. Mzab Gundi (Massoutiera mzabi), 3. Felou Gundi (Felovia vae), 4. Common Gundi (Clenodactylus gundi), 5. Desert Gundi (Ctenodactylus vali)

Distribution. C Mauritania, W Mali, and E Senegal, geographically isolated from the other gundis.