Lemniscomys barbarus

Geographic Range

Lemniscomys barbarus is endemic to a narrow coastal zone in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. A few small populations have been found from the base of the Atlas Mountains to the Plateau Central. It has been hypothesized that the current range of L. barbarus was established during the early to mid-Pleistocene.

• Biogeographic Regions
• palearctic palearctic
  • native native

Habitat

The barbary striped grass mice are found from sea level up to 1000 m. They mainly live in Mediterranean scrublands and woodlands and prefer areas with thick grass and herbaceous ground cover. However, this species has been reported from various nonforested, relatively dry habits along the coastal region of Northwest Africa. In general, barbary striped grass mice can be found in rocky outcrops in vegetated coastal dunes, juniper scrub, argon sage grassland, and argon savanna throughout their geographic range.

• Habitat Regions
• temperate temperate
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• desert or dune desert or dune
• savanna or grassland savanna or grassland
• chaparral chaparral
• scrub forest scrub forest

Physical Description

Lemniscomys barbarus is the smallest of member of its genus, with masses ranging from 22 g to 48 g and an average mass of 30 g. Individuals range in body length from 8 to 12 cm and a tail ranging from 10 to 15 cm in length. This species is easily recognized due to its unique pelage, which includes a middorsal longitudinal stripes. The dorsal pelage is brown or oatmeal-colored and has a single dark vertebral stripe, extending from the middle crown to the rump. Flanking this vertebral line on each side are 4 to 5 primary pairs of bold alternating light and dark stripes, and dark stripes are usually wider than the corresponding light stripes. Additionally, the pelage features secondary light lines, particularly evident within the first primary dark stripes. The ventral pelage is white. Lemniscomys barbarus has a narrow and pointed head, usually of the same color as the dorsum. Its ears are large and rounded, covered with hair.

Lemniscomys barbarus has a dental formula of 1/1, 0/0, 0/0, 3/3 = 16. The molars are rooted, strongly lophodont , and appear similar to those of Lemniscomys griselda . The third molar is always smaller than the first and second molars. The skull of L. barbarus is especially robust when compared to congeners. In contrast to other members of g. Lemniscomys , the barbary striped grass mouse has inflated ectotympanic bullae, and similar to other murines , L. barbarus lacks a sphenofrontal foramen and squamosoalisphenoid groove. Sexual dimorphism has not been reported in this species. Lemniscomys barbarus is diploid and has 54 chromosomes.

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

Reproduction

There is no information regarding the mating system of Lemniscomys barbarus .

Male barbary striped grass mice reach sexual maturity at about 10 weeks, while females may take several months longer and may not reproduce up to a year later. Mating season occurs during the warm, wet spring and summer months, with no reproductive activity reported during winter. It has been suggested that reproduction is correlated with season and ambient temperature. Gestation lasts for 21 days, and the average litters consist of 5.5 pups. While the reproductive behavior of this species has not been described in detail, new-borns of the closely related Lemniscomys striatus weigh 3 grams at birth and are covered in short hair . Dorsal stripes are present at birth. Their eyes open around one week after birth, and adult weight is not achieved until 5 months old. Mean birth mass at birth for Lemniscomys rosalia pups, another close relative, is 2.6 grams. Pups are altricial at birth and have fused toes, closed eyes, and folded ear flaps. Young develop quickly, opening their eyes by 9 to 11 after birth and becoming fully furred by day 18.

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• seasonal breeding seasonal breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• viviparous viviparous

Little information is available regarding parental care in barbary striped grass mice. Females nurse young through 4 pectoral and 4 inguinal mammae until weaning.

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• female parental care female parental care
• pre-fertilization
  • provisioning
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-hatching/birth
  • provisioning
    • female
  • protecting
    • female
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • female

Lifespan/Longevity

The life expectancy of Lemniscomys barbarus barely exceeds six months in the wild. In contrast, this rodent can live up from 3 to 4.5 years in captivity, with an average life expectancy of 4.4 years.

Behavior

Lemniscomys barbarus is a very active, diurnal rodent. Some reports indicate that captive individuals can be crepuscular or exhibit irregular nighttime activity. While small groups can sometimes be found during feeding bouts, L. barbarus does not appear to be highly social. THis species lives in grass burrows or nests, which typically have single, relatively large entrance. In the closely related Lemniscomys griselda , burrows are occupied by a solitary individual, a breeding pair, and possibly their young. The nests of L. griselda are excavated in areas with dense grass cover. There are well-developed runways between burrows and feeding grounds. Lemniscomys barbarus feeds mostly during the evening and early morning. Due to its extensive runway system, Lemniscomys barbarus is rarely found far from its burrow.

• Key Behaviors
• terricolous
• diurnal diurnal
• crepuscular crepuscular
• motile motile
• sedentary sedentary
• solitary solitary

Home Range

The home range of Lemniscomys barbarus has not been studied. In the closely related species, Lemniscomys griselda , the home range of males exceeds that of females.

Communication and Perception

Consistent with the diurnal activity patterns of this species, Lemniscomys barbarus 's eyes contain a relatively large number of cones, the photoreceptors responsible for color vision, in their retinas. Cone-rich retinal structures are relatively rare among contemporary mammalian species. As most mammals are nocturnal, they have rod-dominated retinas. No other information exists regarding communication and perception in this species. Lemniscomys barbarus uses scent marks to demarcate territories and communicate with conspecifics, especially during mating season.

• Communication Channels
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• pheromones pheromones
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Lemniscomys barbarus constructs well-defined runways from its burrow or nest to its feeding grounds, where they store small piles of cut grass stems, the staple of its diet. In additino to grass stems, L. barbarus forages on leaves, roots, and fruit as well as crops and seeds. Less commonly, L. barbarus has been known to eat insects.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • granivore granivore

• Animal Foods
• insects

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• roots and tubers
• seeds, grains, and nuts
• fruit

• Foraging Behavior
• stores or caches food stores or caches food

Predation

Diurnal birds of prey such as hawks ( Accipitridae and secretary birds ( Sagittarius serpentarius reportedly prey on Lemniscomys barbarus . Other predators include genets , mongooses , jackals , small cats , cheetahs , and snakes . To avoid predation, when threatened L. barbarus hurriedly escapes to its burrow. The striped pattern on its dorsal pelage may help camouflage L. barbarus from potential predators and its burrowing nature likely helps minimize risk of predation as well.

• Anti-predator Adaptations
• cryptic cryptic

Ecosystem Roles

The ecological role of Lemniscomys barbarus is not well understood. However, two separate studies suggest that L. barbarus may be a potential host for the parasitic protists , Eimeria telekii and Sarcocystis atheridis . Altough both species can potentially use L. barbarus as a host, this may not be ecologically relevant in the case of E. telekii , as its range does not overlap with that of L. barbarus . A portion of Lemniscomys barbarus 's diet consists of seeds. As a result, this species may be an important seed disperser throughout its geographic range.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Lemniscomys barbarus has been used to study the organization of the suprachiasmatic nuclei and its role in circadian rhythms. This species has also been used to study cone pathophysiology due to its similar diurnal activity pattern to humans. Finally, Lemniscomys barbarus is sometimes kept as a pet.

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade
• research and education

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

There are no known adverse effects of Lemniscomys barbarus on humans.

Conservation Status

While natural populations of Lemniscomys barbarus have low densities in certain years, they are fairly abundant in others. Due to the apparent longterm stability of L. barbarus in the wild, it is listed as a species of least concern on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species.

Other Comments

The complicated taxonomy of Lemniscomys barbarus has received much attention over the years, leading to a number of reclassificatons. Of particular importance is Carleton and Van der Straeten (1997), who recently split Lemniscomys barbarus into two species, Lemniscomys barbarus and Lemniscomys zebra , on the basis of multivariate morphometrics of skull measurements. They described the former as a species restricted to shrub vegetation along a narrow coastal strip in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, while the latter has a wide-ranging sub-Saharan distribution. This reclassification addressed substantial variation that was apparent within Lemniscomys barbarus . However, more work needs to be done on Lemniscomys zebra , which remains a highly variable taxon.

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Merissa Zeman (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, John Berini (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.

References

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Carleton, M., E. Van Der Straeten. 1997. Morphological differentiation among Subsaharan and North African populations of the Lemniscomys barbarus complex (Rodentia: Muridae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington , 110(4): 640-680.

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