Fun Gundi Facts For Kids

If you are a rodent lover, then the name 'Gundi' will not be new to you. Gundis (Family Ctenodactylidae) are cute rodents that are found in Northern Africa. Gundis are comb rats and live in rocky and arid areas.

The family of these African rodents consists of four living genera and five species. A gundi is a fascinating creature that has amazing facts related to it. So, let us learn more about this cute comb rat ‘Gundi'.

North African, Desert, Massoutiera Mzabi, Felou, and Speke are the five species of Family Ctenodactylidae. Gundi is not a very rare animal, and it can be found easily in Northern Africa.

Gundi has flat ears, short legs, long whiskers, and big eyes. With help of their short legs they have the dexterity to climb on even almost vertical surfaces. As per facts on file, there is not enough information available about their population count.

Ctenodactylus gundis live in colonies where several other hundreds of gundis are found. After reading about gundi facts, you may also look at naked mole-rat facts and hoary bat facts.

Gundi Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Gundi?

Gundi Ctenodactylus is a species of rodents. These rodents are different from other rodents as they have comb like bristles on their hindfeet’s toes. In the early morning, they like to sunbathe. In order to stay warm, gundis are known to pile on top of each other.

What class of animal does a gundi belong to?

A gundi belongs to the mammal class of animals as they give birth to their offspring. Its scientific name is Ctenodactylidae Gundi.

How many gundis are there in the world?

There are five species of gundi which are North African, Desert, Mzab, Felou and Speke. And these rodents can easily be found in the rocky arid places of North Africa.

The exact count of their population is not known, but if an estimate is to be made about their population then we can boldly say that there are thousands of gundis living in North Africa.

Where does a Gundi live?

A north African gundi can be found in the rocky desert areas. These tiny rodents live in the rock crevices and under boulders.

What is a Gundi's habitat?

Gundis do not have a permanent habitat. These little rodents change their habitat often. A gundi lives in the narrow openings or cracks of the rocks. They come out of these cracks in day time for sunbathing and searching for food. And in the night, they go back to these narrow cracks.

Who do gundis live with?

Gundis live in colonies, and they live with other gundis. When the gundis in the settlement feel a need to get warm, they gather and pile on top of each other. By doing this, it helps them in keeping themselves warm.

How long does a gundi live?

Gundis do not have a very long lifespan; they can live up to three or four years.

How do they reproduce?

A gundi reproduces by sexual reproduction. A gundi gains sexual maturity at the age of nine to twelve months. The gestation period of these rodents is 57 days approximately. The female gundis can give birth to two baby gundis at once.

What is their conservation status?

Gundis are common in Northern Africa. And their population is also good in numbers. So, their conservation status is considered as Least Concern. But the felou gundi has a vulnerable status because of its habitat fragmentation.

Gundi Fun Facts

Gundis is the most exciting species of rodents. They are puffy and cute.

These rodents have comb-like bristles between the middle toes of their hind feet. Because of these comb-like bristles, they are also known as comb rats. These little fellows are full of interesting facts and knowledge, so let’s have a look at some more fun facts about Gundis.

What do Gundis look like?

A north African gundi looks almost similar to a guinea pig because of its big eyes, short limbs, and flat ears. They can be 18-21 cm tall. Each of their feet has four fingers with sharp and dark claws. One interesting thing about these rodents is that they have rootless teeth.

How cute are they?

These little rodents are extremely cute creatures. They are as cute as a hamster and almost look like a big hamster.

How do they communicate?

They communicate by using chirping sounds. In the desert, their low-pitched alert calls work very well. They thump their hind feet when they feel alarmed. Whenever they feel any danger, they rush back to the cracks and boulders of rock.

How big is a gundi?

Gundis are usually 18-21 cm tall, which is almost four times bigger than a Roborovski Dwarf Hamster.

How fast can a gundi run?

Rodents are pretty fast creatures, and they are complicated to catch. These rodents, when threatened, sprints to hide in the narrow cracks and boulders.

How much does a gundi weigh?

A common Ctenodactylus gundi weighs 290 g, and Val's gundi weighs 170 g.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male and female species of these rodents have no particular names. They are generally referred to as male gundi and female gundi.

What would you call a baby gundi?

A baby of gundi would be called a 'baby gundi'. Female gundis give birth to two litters every year.

What do they eat?

Gundis are herbivores, and they eat leaves, stalks, flowers, and seeds of plants. They look for food during the day.

Do they bite?

If appropriately handled, gundis do not bite. If you threaten or scare them, then they might bite. To make sure it doesn’t bite, you need to train them and occupy them with toys and something to chew upon. This is because it has constant needs for chewing things and likes to remain occupied.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, they can make a good pet. If handled with enough care, then they can be a good pet for rodent lovers.

These rodents are considered to be highly intelligent as they can learn various behaviors if they are properly trained. Both male and female gundi is appropriate to live together due to their calm and friendly behavior.

A gundi is also nocturnal, meaning it is awake most of the night and has no issues in playing with its owner.

A gundi would need something to chew by its side as it is constantly looking to chew on things. So, make sure you satisfy its chewing needs and surround it with toys so that it doesn’t become lonely and aggressive.

Did you know...

A gundi is always a favorite meal of animals like snakes, foxes, cats, lizards. But a gundi, because of its conservative nature, is well-capable of protecting himself. Gundis have acute hearing, which helps them hear low frequency sounds as well. They also alert other gundis if they are under threat from other predators making them highly curious and active.

Ctenodactylus gundis are active during the day. Unlink the other rodents; gundis like to work during the day. They come out of their habitat during the early morning when the temperature is slightly cool and remain active for up to five hours, and as soon as the temperature rises, they go back to their caves.

The gundis grow very fast. The gestation period of these rodents is 57 days. The baby gundi does not require a lot of nursing, and they start to eat chewed leaves from the early days of their life itself. The weaning of the gundis gets completed at the age of four months.

Research has found that Leishmania DNA was detected in 40 Ctenodactylus gundi. The study suggests that gundis can be considered as a potential reservoir of the Leishmania parasite. These leishmania parasites are spreading the ‘Cutaneous Leishmaniasis’ infection in Tunisia.

Similar Animals To The Gundi

A gundi is a rodent or a combat rat. Here are some similar rodents.  

Hamsters: Hamsters are adorable little rodents, and they are mostly kept as a pet.

Guinea Pig: A Guinea pig is almost similar to a Hamster, but the difference between the two is that a guinea pig is bigger than a hamster, and a hamster is an herb; a guinea pig is an omnivore.

Squirrels: Squirrels are also a type of rodent. Their long body and tail make them different from other kinds of rodents.

Capybara: A capybara is a giant rodent that is found in South America.

Beaver: Beaver is a large rodent with a tiny face. Their faces look small in comparison to their giant bodies.

Chinchilla: Chinchilla can be the best rodent pet as it is clean and odorless. Chinchillas are shy and quiet, which makes them ideal rodent pets. The lifespan of a chinchilla is also very long (10-20 years).

Common Degu: Degus are said to be intelligent and social rodents. These rodents love to play and socialize, and that’s why they can be fantastic pets.

Interesting Facts About Their Habitat

Gundis prefer to live in secret and narrow places, and that's why they make their habitat in the thin cracks and boulders of rocks. The gundi populations can be found between and over sea level 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) in elevation. When a gundi feels threatened, they rush inside these narrow cracks.

Gundis do not live in one place permanently. They change their habitat very often. These rodents are found in Northern Africa, from Mauritania and Morocco, Eritrea and Somalia.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammal including rice rat, or ferret.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our gundi coloring pages.