Spermophilus

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Theria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Ordo: Rodentia
Subordo: Sciuromorpha
Familia: Sciuridae
Subfamilia: Xerinae
Tribus: Marmotini
Genus: Spermophilus
Species: S. adocetus - S. alashanicus - S. annulatus - S. armatus - S. beldingi - S. brevicauda - S. brunneus - S. canus - S. citellus - S. columbianus - S. dauricus - S. elegans - S. erythrogenys - S. franklinii - S. fulvus - S. lateralis - S. madrensis - S. major - S. mexicanus - S. mohavensis - S. mollis - S. musicus - S. pallidicauda - S. parryii - S. perotensis - S. pygmaeus - S. ralli - S. relictus - S. richardsonii - S. saturatus - S. spilosoma - S. suslicus - S. tereticaudus - S. townsendii - S. tridecemlineatus - S. undulatus - S. washingtoni - S. xanthoprymnus

Name

Spermophilus F. Cuvier, 1825

References

* Spermophilus on Mammal Species of the World.
* Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2 Volume Set edited by Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Ziesel
English: Ground squirrel
Magyar: Ürge
Nederlands: echte grondeekhoorn
Русский: Суслики
Svenska: Sislar
Українська: Ховрах
中文: 美洲黃鼠屬

Spermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the family Sciuridae. The majority of ground squirrel species, over 40 in total, are usually placed in this genus. However, Spermophilus in the broad sense has been found to be paraphyletic to the certainly distinct prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels, so it has been split into several genera by Kristofer Helgen and colleagues.

Some Eurasian species are sometimes called susliks (or sousliks). This name comes from Russian суслик, suslik.[1] The scientific name of this genus means "seed-lovers".

Ground squirrels may carry fleas that transmit diseases to humans (see Black Plague), and have been destructive in tunneling underneath human habitation. Though capable of climbing, most species of ground squirrel live in open, treeless habitats.[2]

Species

A generic revision was undertaken in 2007 by means of phylogenetic analyses using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b. This resulted in the splitting of Spermophilus into eight genera, which with the prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels are each given as numbered clades. The exact relations between the clades are slightly unclear. Among these, eleven exclusively Palearctic species are retained as the genus Spermophilus sensu stricto (in the strictest sense).

* Clade 1, Notocitellus, the tropical ground squirrels

* Tropical ground squirrel, Notocitellus adocetus
* Ring-tailed ground squirrel, Notocitellus annulatus

* Clade 2, Ammospermophilus, the antelope squirrels

See antelope squirrel.

* Clade 3, Otospermophilus, the rock squirrels

* Rock squirrel, Otospermophilus variegatus
* California ground squirrel, Otospermophilus beecheyi
* Baja California rock squirrel, Otospermophilus atricapillus

* Clade 4, Callospermophilus, the golden-mantled ground squirrels

* Golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis
* Sierra Madre ground squirrel, Callospermophilus madrensis
* Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus saturatus

* Clade 5, Xerospermophilus, the pygmy ground squirrels

* Mohave ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus mohavensis
* Round-tailed ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus tereticaudus
* Spotted ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus spilosoma
* Perote ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus perotensis

* Clade 6, Cynomys, the prairie dogs

See prairie dog.

* Clade 7, Poliocitellus

* Franklin's ground squirrel, Poliocitellus franklinii

* Clade 8, Ictidomys, little ground squirrels

* Thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
* Mexican ground squirrel, Ictidomys mexicanus
* Ictidomys parvidens

* Clade 9, Marmota, the marmots

See marmot.

* Clade 10, Urocitellus, Holarctic ground squirrels

* Long-tailed ground squirrel, Urocitellus undulatus
* Uinta ground squirrel, Urocitellus armatus
* Belding's ground squirrel, Urocitellus beldingi
* Idaho ground squirrel, Urocitellus brunneus
* Merriam's ground squirrel, Urocitellus canus
* Columbian ground squirrel, Urocitellus columbianus
* Wyoming ground squirrel, Urocitellus elegans
* Piute ground squirrel, Urocitellus mollis
* Arctic ground squirrel, Urocitellus parryii
* Townsend's ground squirrel, Urocitellus townsendii
* Washington ground squirrel, Urocitellus washingtoni
* Richardson's ground squirrel, Urocitellus richardsonii

* Clade 11, Spermophilus sensu stricto, Old World ground squirrels

* European ground squirrel, Spermophilus citellus
* Alashan ground squirrel, Spermophilus alashanicus
* Daurian ground squirrel, Spermophilus dauricus
* Red-cheeked ground squirrel, Spermophilus erythrogenys
* Yellow ground squirrel, Spermophilus fulvus
* Russet ground squirrel, Spermophilus major
* Little ground squirrel, Spermophilus pygmaeus
* Tien Shan ground squirrel, Spermophilus relictus
* Speckled ground squirrel, Spermophilus suslicus
* Taurus ground squirrel, Spermophilus taurensis
* Asia Minor ground squirrel, Spermophilus xanthoprymnus
* Spermophilus pallidicauda
* Spermophilus ralli
* Spermophilus brevicauda

Notes

1. ^ The Free Dictionary
2. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica

References

* Helgen, Kristofer M.; Cole, F. Russel; Helgen, Lauren E.; and Wilson, Don E (2009). "Generic Revision in the Holarctic Ground Squirrel Genus Spermophilus". Journal of Mammalogy 90 (2): 270–305. doi:10.1644/07-MAMM-A-309.1.