Thin sand rat
Species of mammal belonging to the gerbil subfamily of rodents
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The thin sand rat or lesser sand rat (Psammomys vexillaris) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.[2] It has also been previously named the pale sand rat based on work published by Oldfield Thomas in 1925.[3] It is found in Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, and its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and intermittent salt lakes.[2] The thin sand rat was previously classified as a subspecies of the fat sand rat. However, morphological differences in size and coat color between the two animals, along with recent molecular evidence suggest that they are different species.[2][4][5] The thin sand rat may be a natural reservoir for the disease leishmaniasis.[6]
| Thin sand rat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Psammomys |
| Species: | P. vexillaris |
| Binomial name | |
| Psammomys vexillaris Thomas, 1925 | |
