FOOD PREFERENCES OF GERBILLURUS-PAEBA-EXILIS IN A COASTAL DUNEFIELD, SOUTH-AFRICA

We investigated the potential diet of Gerbillurus paeba exilis (Shortridge and Carter, 1938) from dune slacks in the eastern Cape using food preference tests on captive animals in summer and winter. Food categories investigated were: seeds, leaves and stems, and arthropods. The seeds of Arctotheca populifolia were the most preferred food. A seasonal change in diet was found: gerbils consumed mainly arthropods and seeds in summer, while in winter, few arthropods were eaten, the preferred diet consisting chiefly of seeds. Little green plant material was ingested. The seasonal change in food preferences may influence the timing of breeding.