Thin sand rat | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Psammomys |
Species: | P. vexillaris |
Binomial name | |
Psammomys vexillaris Thomas, 1925 |
The thin sand rat or lesser sand rat (Psammomys vexillaris) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. [2] It has also been previously named the pale sand rat based on work published by Oldfield Thomas in 1925. [3] It is found in Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia, and its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and intermittent salt lakes. [2] The thin sand rat was previously classified as a subspecies of the fat sand rat. However, morphological differences in size and coat color between the two animals, along with recent molecular evidence suggest that they are different species. [2] [4] [5] The thin sand rat may be a natural reservoir for the disease leishmaniasis. [6]