Fat sand rat: Difference between revisions

Fat sand rat; Temporal range: Late Miocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Subfamily:	Gerbillinae
Genus:	Psammomys
Species:	P. obesus
Binomial name
	Psammomys obesus; Cretzschmar, 1828

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Revision as of 16:14, 7 December 2014

Psammomys obesus, known as the sand rat or fat sand rat, is a terrestrial mammal from the gerbil subfamily that is mostly found in North Africa and the Middle East, ranging from Mauritania to the Arabian Peninsula.

Ecology

This species usually lives in sandy deserts, but may also be found in rocky terrain or saline marsh areas. It lives in burrows, which are often located under the bushes in which the rats forage, such as salt bushes of the family Chenopodiaceae. The sand rat is diurnal, but its activity on the surface depends on the ambient temperature. The sand rat normally has two litters every year; each litter usually comprises three to seven pups.

Medical significance

Although they remain lean when fed their natural, vegetable-based diet, sand rats can easily become obese and acquire type 2 diabetes mellitus when they are fed a normal rodent diet of grains.^[2]^[3] ^[4] Therefore, they have been used as an animal model for studies on diabetes and obesity.

Because they are diurnal, sand rats are also used as models for human seasonal affective disorder.^[5]

The presence of sand rats in North Africa and the Middle East is of healthcare importance, as this species can harbor the parasite which causes leishmaniasis in humans.

These animals have been studied extensively for their remarkably efficient kidneys: they can produce very concentrated urine which enables them to eat halophyte plants and survive extreme heat and lack of water in their desert habitat.^[6]

References

^ Template:IUCN2010
^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 5907154, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=5907154 instead.
^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 22893403, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=22893403 instead.
^ Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 3519325, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=3519325 instead.
^ Tal Ashkenazy, Haim Einat & Noga Kronfeld-Schor (2009). "We are in the dark here: induction of depression- and anxiety-like behaviours in the diurnal fat sand rat, by short daylight or melatonin injections". The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 12 (1): 83–93. doi:10.1017/S1461145708009115. PMID 18631427.
^ Michael A. Mares (November 1, 2003). "Desert dreams: seeking the secret mammals of the salt pans". Natural History.

External links

[1] Template:IUCN2010

[2] Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 5907154, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=5907154 instead.

[3] Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 22893403, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=22893403 instead.

[4] Attention: This template ({{cite pmid}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by PMID 3519325, please use {{cite journal}} with |pmid=3519325 instead.

[5] Tal Ashkenazy, Haim Einat & Noga Kronfeld-Schor (2009). "We are in the dark here: induction of depression- and anxiety-like behaviours in the diurnal fat sand rat, by short daylight or melatonin injections". The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 12 (1): 83–93. doi:10.1017/S1461145708009115. PMID 18631427.

[Dreams-6] Michael A. Mares (November 1, 2003). "Desert dreams: seeking the secret mammals of the salt pans". Natural History.

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 ==Medical significance==
-Sand rats can easily acquire [[diabetes mellitus]] when they are fed a normal rodent diet of grains. Therefore they have been used as an animal model for studies on diabetes. Because they are diurnal, they are also used as models for human [[seasonal affective disorder]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Tal Ashkenazy, Haim Einat & Noga Kronfeld-Schor |year=2009 |title=We are in the dark here: induction of depression- and anxiety-like behaviours in the diurnal fat sand rat, by short daylight or melatonin injections |journal=[[The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology]] |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=83–93 |doi=10.1017/S1461145708009115 |pmid=18631427}}</ref>
+Although they remain lean when fed their natural, vegetable-based diet, sand rats can easily become obese and acquire type 2 [[diabetes mellitus]] when they are fed a normal rodent diet of grains.<ref>{{cite pmid|5907154}}</ref><ref>{{cite pmid|22893403}}</ref> <ref>{{cite pmid|3519325}}</ref> Therefore, they have been used as an animal model for studies on diabetes and [[obesity]].
+Because they are diurnal, sand rats are also used as models for human [[seasonal affective disorder]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Tal Ashkenazy, Haim Einat & Noga Kronfeld-Schor |year=2009 |title=We are in the dark here: induction of depression- and anxiety-like behaviours in the diurnal fat sand rat, by short daylight or melatonin injections |journal=[[The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology]] |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=83–93 |doi=10.1017/S1461145708009115 |pmid=18631427}}</ref>
 The presence of sand rats in North Africa and the Middle East is of healthcare importance, as this species can harbor the [[Leishmania major|parasite]] which causes [[leishmaniasis]] in humans.