View source for Gundi

{{Short description|Family of rodents}}
{{about|the rodent in general|the North African gundi|Common gundi|other uses|Gundi (disambiguation)}}
{{for|the beetle|Ctenodactylinae}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Gundi
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Early Oligocene | Recent}}
| image = Gundi at Helsinki Zoo.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Common gundi|Ctenodactylus gundi]]''
| taxon = Ctenodactylidae
| authority = [[Paul Gervais|Gervais]], 1853
| type_genus = ''[[Ctenodactylus]]''
| type_genus_authority = [[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1830
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = 
''[[Ctenodactylus]]''<br>
''[[Felovia]]''<br>
''[[Massoutiera]]''<br>
''[[Pectinator]]''
| range_map = Ctenodactylidae range map.png
}}
'''Gundis''' or '''comb rats''' are a group of small, stocky, [[Africa]]n [[rodent]]s in the family '''Ctenodactylidae'''. They live in rocky [[desert]]s across [[Northern Africa]]. The family comprises four living [[genus|genera]] and five [[species]] ([[Speke's pectinator|Speke's gundi]], [[Felou gundi]], [[Val's gundi|Val's or desert gundi]], [[common gundi|common or North African gundi]] and [[Mzab gundi]]), as well as numerous extinct genera and species.<ref>{{cite book |author1=McKenna, Malcolm C. |author2=Bell, Susan K. |year=1997 |title=Classification of Mammals above the Species Level |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=0-231-11013-8}}</ref> They are in the superfamily [[Ctenodactyloidea]]. Local people in northern Africa have always known about gundis, however they first came to the notice of western [[naturalists]] in [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]] in 1774, and were given the name ''gundi mice''.<ref name="Macdonald">{{cite book |editor-last=Macdonald  |editor-first=David W. |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-19-920608-2}}</ref> While they are not regarded as pests, some people hunt gundis for food.<ref name="Grzimek" />

All living gundi species are members of the Ctenodactylinae sub-family. The Ctenodactylidae family also includes three extinct sub-families, Tataromyinae, Karakoromyinae and Dystylomyinae.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Raquel|last1= López-Antoñanzas|first2= Fabien|last2= Knoll|title=A comprehensive phylogeny of the gundis (Ctenodactylinae, Ctenodactylidae, Rodentia)|journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology|year= 2011|volume= 9|issue= 3|page=3|doi=10.1080/14772019.2010.529175|url=https://hal.science/hal-01920843/document}}</ref> The scientific name comes from [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grk|κτείς}} ({{transliteration|grc|kteís}}), "comb", and {{lang|grk|δάκτυλος}} ({{transliteration|grc|dáktulos}}), "finger".

==Description==
Gundis are from 17 to 18&nbsp;cm in body length, with compact bodies covered in soft fur, short legs, and large eyes. They have only four toes on all feet and the middle toes of the hind feet carry comb-like bristles, which earned them the name "comb rat".<ref name=EoM/> Gundis have short [[tail]]s, which in some species are covered in a large fan of hair that aids in balancing as they move about their rocky and uneven environments. Their ribcages are flexible, which helps them fit into small crevices.

Gundis are [[herbivore|herbivorous]], eating almost every type of available plant. Like many other desert animals, they do not drink, obtaining all the moisture they need from their food.<ref name=EoM>{{cite book |editor=Macdonald, D. |author=George, Wilma |year=1984 |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/706 706–707] |isbn=0-87196-871-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofma00mals_0/page/706 }}</ref> Their [[incisor]]s lack the layer of tough, orange, [[Tooth enamel|enamel]] found in other rodents, and they have a [[dentition|dental formula]] of: {{dentition|1.0.1-2.3|1.0.1-2.3}}

Females typically give birth to two young at a time, after a [[gestation]] period of about two months. Because of the need to preserve moisture, female gundis produce only a small amount of [[milk]], and the young are fully [[weaning|weaned]] by four weeks of age.<ref name=EoM/> On average, female gundis are bigger than males. Gundis live about 3 to 4&nbsp;years in the wild.<ref name="Grzimek" />

==Habitat and behavior==
Gundis live in all manner of rocky desert habitats: cliffs, hills, rocky outcrops, [[scree]] slopes, and so on. They are found between sea level and 2,500&nbsp;meters in elevation.<ref name="Grzimek" />

[[File:Gundi (Ctenodactylidae).jpg|thumb|200px|left|alt=Four rodents clustered together on a rock.|Life in colonies]]

Gundis live in colonies of up to a hundred or more individuals, although colonies are smaller in environments where food is particularly scarce. They shelter in existing rock crevices at night, or during [[midday]] when the sun becomes too hot for them to remain active. Most shelters are temporary, but some are occupied for years. Gundis pile onto each other for heat, especially in cold or windy weather. They are not known to hibernate. Gundi colonies have a dunghill that all the members of the colony use.<ref name="Grzimek" />

Gundis are vocal animals, with a range of alarm calls and communication signals for group bonding, greetings, and alerting other gundis of predators. All members of Ctenodactylidae thump their hind feet on the ground when alarmed. Gundis rely on their acute hearing.<ref name="Grzimek" />

If a gundi is threatened, it will run to the nearest rock crevice or play dead. While gundis are generally slow, they can sprint when threatened. Gundis can also climb up almost vertical surfaces.

==Evolution==
According to a [[DNA sequence]] study, the ancestors of the gundis diverged from those of the [[Laotian rock rat]] around the [[Lutetian]], some 44&nbsp;million years ago (Early/Middle [[Eocene]]).<ref name=Huchon2007>{{cite journal |author1=Huchon, Dorothée |author2=Chevret, Pascale |author3=Jordan, Ursula |author4=Kilpatrick, C. William |author5=Ranwez, Vincent |author6=Jenkins, Paulina D. |author7=Brosius, Jürgen |author8=Schmitz, Jürgen |year=2007 |title=Multiple molecular evidences for a living mammalian fossil |journal=[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] |volume=104 |issue=18 |pages=7495–7499 |doi=10.1073/pnas.0701289104|pmc=1863447 |pmid=17452635 |bibcode=2007PNAS..104.7495H |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Fossils within Ctenodactylidae have been found in Asia, dating back to the mid-Eocene. Gundi fossils from the [[Pleistocene]] have been found in Asia, North Africa, and parts of Italy.<ref name="Grzimek">{{cite book |editor1-last=Kleiman |editor1-first=Devra G. |editor2-last=Geist |editor2-first=Valerius |editor3-last=McDade |editor3-first=Melissa C. |editor4-last=Hutchins |editor4-first=Michael |title=Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia |volume=V&nbsp;Mammals |date=2004 |publisher=Thomson Gale |location=Canada |isbn=0-7876-5792-1 |pages=311–315 |edition=Second |url=http://1.droppdf.com/files/vpraC/grzimek-s-encyclopedia-2nd-ed-vol-16-mammals-v.pdf |access-date=7 July 2018}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
*'''Ctenodactylidae'''
**''[[Ctenodactylus]]''
***[[Common gundi]], ''Ctenodactylus gundi''
***[[Val's gundi]], ''Ctenodactylus vali''
**''Felovia''
***[[Felou gundi]], ''Felovia vae''
**''Massoutiera''
***[[Mzab gundi]], ''Massoutiera mzabi''
**''Pectinator''
***[[Speke's pectinator]], ''Pectinator spekei''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Rodents}}
{{Ctenodactylidae nav}}
{{Hystricomorpha|Ct.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q655774}}

[[Category:Gundis| ]]
[[Category:Ctenodactylomorphi]]
[[Category:Rodents by common name]]
[[Category:Mammals of Africa| ]]
[[Category:Extant Rupelian first appearances]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1853]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Paul Gervais]]