We are officially half way through the work week and to celebrate we are going to Africa to study a cute, little rodent known as the North African Gundi. You shouldn’t have any problems finding this mouse-like creature provided you don’t mind lifting up a rock or two. That’s right, this common and widespread species tends to live in the crevices of rock outcrops located in Northern Africa. There are four other species of Gundi located throughout Africa so we will need to study their physical characteristics before leaving. After all, you don’t want to travel all the way to Africa just to observe a completely different Gundi, now would you?
They All Look Alike
Okay, so it probably wouldn’t be a big deal if you observed a cousin of the North African Gundi and it is a good thing too since they all look pretty similar. For example, all 5 of the Gundi species tend to look like furry, little Guinea Pigs with their short, stubby legs, large eyes and a short tail. As well, two toes on the Gundi’s hind foot is known to have little bristles. What are these bristles for? Well, to scratch their rump, of course. Why do they do this? Not sure… maybe because they have an itch or it could be their way of scent marking their territory. Why do you think the North African Gundi scratches their rump all the time?
A Crowded Bedroom
Although this particular Gundi lives in the desert, these animals do not drink water. Instead they prefer to drink soda pop! Okay, obviously I am just making that up but they do get all of their water intake from the plants they eat. Probably not a bad idea considering they live in a desert so water may be tough to come by. Another issue with living in the desert is regulating your body temperature. The area they live in tends to be very warm during the day but cold at night. Unfortunately, they don’t have blankets they can use to cover up with at night but they have the next best thing……each other. Yes, the North African Gundi gathers in communities and then piles on top of each other to keep warm during the cold African nights. I am not sure how much sleep the rodent on the bottom gets but I am sure it doesn’t wake up feeling rested.
