Cape gerbil

The Cape gerbil (Gerbilliscus afer) is a medium-sized gerbil found only in South Africa, in the southwest of the country. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and temperate desert, and it favours sandy soils and cultivated fields. Adults have red-orange fur above and a white underside, measure about 124 to 157 millimetres from head to body with a tail of 133 to 175 millimetres, and weigh roughly 78 to 113 grams. It is nocturnal and terrestrial and digs burrows with many tunnels. Breeding is seasonal, from August to March, with litters of two to six. It feeds mainly on seeds, bulbs and roots and sometimes insects, and it is considered a pest in some places. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern.