habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
It is generally associated with a wide variety of habitats, including bushveld and grasslands (Skinner & Chimimba 2005) and may even occur in highly transformed habitats (Power 2014), typically occurring in areas with mean annual rainfall above 250 mm (Dempster 2013). In the North West Province, it is found in over half of the provinceâs vegetation types, and commonly colonises the bare understory of exotic stands of Prosopis glandulosa (Power 2014). Although it is predominantly associated with light sandy soils or sandy alluvium, it may also occur on hard ground where it uses holes in termitaria and under tree roots (Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Dempster 2013). It is absent in areas of heavy red clay soils or soft sand (Dempster 2013). In agro-ecosystems dominated by sandveld, it seems to co-occur with G. brantsii, where it seems to outcompete them (L.H. Swanepoel and M. Keith unpubl. data). The frequency and timing of burning can have a significant effect on its abundance. Generally, the highest proportions of communities occur in habitats that have been burnt one or more times during the previous three years, compared to unburnt sites (Korn 1981). In KwaZulu-Natal, this species has been found in Acacia nilotica/Hyphaene coriacae pan systems, H. coriacae Palmveld, Sand forest, Combretum molle woodland and riverine woodland (Rautenbach et al. 2014; Delcros et al. 2015).It has an omnivorous diet, which mainly consists of plant material and insects (Perrin & Swanepoel 1987; Monadjem 1997b). In some parts of South Africa, it may potentially cause significant damage in cropland when it forages on germinating seeds and newly emergent seedlings (Verdoorn 2010; von Maltitz et al. 2014). It is often the most abundant small mammal species in agricultural areas (L.H. Swanepoel & M. Keith unpubl. data), where it can reach excessively high numbers during population explosions (de Graaff 1981).
This species excavates small burrows, which are interconnected underground, and cleans its burrows every evening. As such, burrows in use can be recognised by fresh soil outside the burrow (Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Dempster 2013). Breeding is seasonal and associated with regular summer rainfall. The duration of the breeding season is variable, which is indicative of a temporally dynamic reproductive strategy. Litter size is large but variable and associated with a xeric environment (Perrin & Swanepoel 1987).
