Gundi

gundi, (family Ctenodactylidae), any of five North African species of rodents distinguished by its comblike rows of bristles on the inner two toes of each hindfoot. Gundis have a large head, blunt nose, big eyes, and short, rounded ears. The body is 16 to 24 cm (6.3 to 9.4 inches) long, and there is a short, furry tail (1 to 5 cm). Fur is dense, soft, and silky, ranging in colour from gray to pale brown.

Gundis are terrestrial and found only in rocky, sparsely vegetated deserts where the days are long and sunny and the humidity is low for most of the year. Gundis are most active at temperatures between 25 and 30 °C (77 and 86 °F). During the day they are shy, climbing deftly over rocks and sitting on ledges to sunbathe. If the temperature gets too hot, they flatten themselves against cool rock surfaces or retreat to crevices. They do not excavate burrows or build nests but shelter in rocks and caves at night and on cold, wet, or windy days. Gundis groom themselves with their bristled hindfeet. Vocalizations are birdlike, and these sharp whistling calls are emitted upon the approach of predators. Seeds, leaves, flowers, and plant stalks provide gundis with both food and water. No food is stored, and gundis neither accumulate body fat reserves nor hibernate. Breeding occurs in January and April, with one or two young produced after a gestation period of about 55 days.

Common gundis (Ctenodactylus gundi and C. vali) are found in parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, but the Mzab gundi (Massoutiera mzabi) has the largest range, extending from southeastern Algeria through southwestern Libya to northern Mali, Niger, and Chad. The Felou gundi (Felovia vae) is confined to Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania. The East African gundi, or Speke’s pectinator (Pectinator spekei), is geographically isolated from all other gundi species and lives in Ethiopia and Somalia.

Gundis constitute the family Ctenodactylidae (Greek: “comb-toe”) and are the only members of the suborder Sciuravida within the order Rodentia. In addition to living gundis, 16 extinct genera of family Ctenodactylidae are represented by fossils from Africa and parts of Asia. Gundis have no close relatives among current rodents, and they form a small relict cluster of an impressive evolutionary diversification that began in the Early Eocene Epoch (54.8 million to 49 million years ago).