Xerus princeps

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	SCIURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Xerus princeps

Species Authority:

(Thomas, 1929)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Damara Ground Squirrel

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

Griffin, M. & Coetzee, N.

Reviewer/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Cox, N. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, it occurs in a number of protected areas, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

History:

2004	–	Least Concern
1996	–	Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This southern African species is mostly found in Namibia. Populations occur from the Fish River Canyon near Holoog (27°22'S) in the south of Namibia northwards following the western escarpment to Kaokoland (Herzig-Straschil and Herzig 1989), and then marginally in Angola. Records from South Africa in the Richtersveld have been attributed to this species, but require verification.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Namibia Presence uncertain: South Africa
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is a locally common species.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is confined to parts of the Nama-Karoo and Succulent Karoo biomes where the average annual rainfall varies from below 125 mm to just above 250 mm. They occur mainly on mountains and among koppies and hills with sparse vegetation. Their warrens are found usually among rocky outcrops, and sometimes on gravel plains. Burrow entrances are often situated under stones or rocks (Skinner and Smithers, 1990). It is diurnal and tends to be solitary.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is confined to parts of the Nama-Karoo and Succulent Karoo biomes where the average annual rainfall varies from below 125 mm to just above 250 mm. They occur mainly on mountains and among koppies and hills with sparse vegetation. Their warrens are found usually among rocky outcrops, and sometimes on gravel plains. Burrow entrances are often situated under stones or rocks (Skinner and Smithers, 1990). It is diurnal and tends to be solitary.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There appear to be no major threats to this species as a whole.

Major Threat(s):

There appear to be no major threats to this species as a whole.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species occurs in several protected areas, including Ai-Ais, Namib-Naukluft National Park and others.

Conservation Actions:

This species occurs in several protected areas, including Ai-Ais, Namib-Naukluft National Park and others.

Bibliography [top]

	Herzig-Straschil, B. and Herzig, A. 1989. Biology of Xerus princeps (Rodentia, Sciuridae). Madoqua 16: 41–46. Matson, J. O. and Blood, B. R. 1994. A report on the distribution of small mammals from Namibia. Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 59: 289-298. Skinner, J. D. and Chimimba, C. T. 2005. The mammals of southern Africa subregion. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Skinner, J. D. and Smithers, R. H. N. (eds). 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa. Waterman, J. M. and Herron, M. D. 2004. Xerus princeps. Mammalian Species 751: 1-3.

Herzig-Straschil, B. and Herzig, A. 1989. Biology of Xerus princeps (Rodentia, Sciuridae). Madoqua 16: 41–46.

Matson, J. O. and Blood, B. R. 1994. A report on the distribution of small mammals from Namibia. Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 59: 289-298.

Skinner, J. D. and Chimimba, C. T. 2005. The mammals of southern Africa subregion. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Skinner, J. D. and Smithers, R. H. N. (eds). 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa.

Waterman, J. M. and Herron, M. D. 2004. Xerus princeps. Mammalian Species 751: 1-3.

Citation:	Griffin, M. & Coetzee, N. 2008. Xerus princeps. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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