African ground squirrel

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"Xerus" redirects here. For the spaceplane, see Xerus (spaceplane).

African ground squirrels
Fossil range: Early Pliocene to Recent

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Subfamily:	Xerinae
Tribe:	Xerini
Genus:	Xerus Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833

Species

Xerus erythropus
Xerus inauris
Xerus princeps
Xerus rutilus

African ground squirrels (genus Xerus) form a taxon of squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae. They are only found in Africa.

There are four species of African ground squirrels divided into three subgenera:

Genus Xerus
- Subgenus Euxerus
  - Striped Ground Squirrel, Xerus erythropus
- Subgenus Geosciurus
  - Cape Ground Squirrel, Xerus inauris (also: South African Ground Squirrel)
  - Damara Ground Squirrel, Xerus princeps
- Subgenus Xerus
  - Unstriped Ground Squirrel, Xerus rutilus

An Unstriped Ground Squirrel (Xerus rutilus)

[edit] References

Wikispecies has information related to:

Xerus

Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. Pp. 754-818 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

v • d • e

Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Xerinae)

Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Order: Rodentia · Suborder: Sciuromorpha

Xerini
(Spiny squirrels)

Atlantoxerus	Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus)

Xerus (African ground squirrels)	Subgenus Euxerus: Striped Ground Squirrel (Xerus erythropus) Subgenus Geosciurus: Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris) · Mountain Ground Squirrel (Xerus princeps) Subgenus Xerus: Unstriped Ground Squirrel (Xerus rutilus)

Spermophilopsis	Long-clawed Ground Squirrel (Spermophilopsis leptodactylus)

Protoxerini

Epixerus	Ebian's Palm Squirrel (Epixerus ebii) · Baifran Palm Squirrel (Epixerus wilsoni)

Funisciurus (African striped squirrels)	Thomas's Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) · Lunda Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus bayonii) · Carruther's Mountain Squirrel (Funisciurus carruthersi) · Funisciurus congricus · Lady Burton's Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus isabella) · Ribboned Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus lemniscatus) · Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus leucogenys) · Funisciurus pyrrhopus · Kintampo Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus substriatus)

Heliosciurus (Sun squirrels)	Gambian Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus) · Mutable Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus mutabilis) · Red-legged Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus rufobrachium) · Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus ruwenzorii) · Zanj Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus undulatus)

Myosciurus	African Pygmy Squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio)

Paraxerus (African bush squirrels)	Smith's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi) · African Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus luciferus) · Alexander's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus alexandri) · Boehm's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus boehmi) · Cooper's Green Squirrel (Paraxerus cooperi) · Fernando Po Squirrel (Paraxerus poensis) · Huet's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus ochraceus) · Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus) · Striped Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus flavovittis) · Swynnerton's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius) · Vincent's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus vincenti)

Protoxerus (African giant squirrels)	Slender-tailed Squirrel (Protoxerus aubinnii) · Forest Giant Squirrel (Protoxerus stangeri)