Cape short-eared gerbil

The Cape short-eared gerbil (Desmodillus auricularis) is a rodent of the family Muridae and the only species in the genus Desmodillus. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, where its natural habitats are hot deserts and temperate desert. It is the only gerbil whose tail is shorter than the combined length of its head and body. Colour varies somewhat, but white patches at the bases of the ears distinguish it from other species. It weighs about 50 grams and has a total length of about 20 centimetres. Its diet consists mainly of grass seeds, with occasional greenery and insects. It nests in burrows that often have many tunnels, and it hoards food inside the burrows or buries it outside nearby.