Common Name

Cape gerbil

Afrikaanse naam

Kaapse Nagmuis

Scientific Name

Tatera afra
Cape gerbil

Description

Total length 30cm and tail 15cm. Weight of male 100g and female 90g. Colour variable - reddish-orange or pale buffy irregularly splashed with dark brown. The underparts are pure white. They have very large ears and long - soft - woolly hair. The back legs are much stronger then the front. Nocturnal - feeding on grass - bulbs - roots and seeds. They burrow extensively in sandy soil - littering the chambers with vegetable debris. Endemic to the southwestern Cape Province.