African ground squirrel

African ground squirrel

Taxobox
name = African ground squirrels
fossil_range = Early Pliocene to Recent


image_width = 250px
image_caption = Cape Ground Squirrel ("Xerus inauris")
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Rodentia
familia = Sciuridae
subfamilia = Xerinae
tribus = Xerini
genus = "Xerus"
genus_authority = Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "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" (southwestern Morocco, southern Mauritania and Senegal)
**Subgenus "Geosciurus"
***Cape Ground Squirrel, "Xerus inauris" (also: South African Ground Squirrel) (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa)
***Damara Ground Squirrel, "Xerus princeps" (southwestern Angola, Namibia)
**Subgenus "Xerus"
***Unstriped Ground Squirrel, "Xerus rutilus" (northeastern Sudan to northeastern Tanzania)

The squirrels live in open woodlands, grasslands, or rocky country. They are diurnal and terrestrial, living in burrows. Their diet is roots, seeds, fruits, pods, grains, insects, small vertebrates and bird eggs. They live in colonies similar to North American prairie dogs, and have similar behavior. Kept as pets, they run free as house cats do, otherwise farmers consider them pests. Also known as a skeet.

References

*Nowak, Ronald M. 1991. pp. 577-8 "Walker's Mammals of the World" Fifth Edition, vol. I. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
*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.


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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • South African ground squirrel — kapinė urvinė voverė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Xerus inauris angl. Cape ground squirrel; South African ground squirrel rus. земляная белка ryšiai: platesnis terminas – urvinės voverės …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

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  • Ground squirrel — ground ground (ground), n. [OE. ground, grund, AS. grund; akin to D. grond, OS., G., Sw., & Dan. grund, Icel. grunnr bottom, Goth. grundus (in composition); perh. orig. meaning, dust, gravel, and if so perh. akin to E. grind.] 1. The surface of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cape ground squirrel — kapinė urvinė voverė statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas taksono rangas rūšis atitikmenys: lot. Xerus inauris angl. Cape ground squirrel; South African ground squirrel rus. земляная белка ryšiai: platesnis terminas – urvinės voverės …   Žinduolių pavadinimų žodynas

  • bristly ground squirrel — noun : an African ground squirrel (Xerus setosus) with coarse bristly hair …   Useful english dictionary

  • ground squirrel — any of several terrestrial rodents of the squirrel family, as of the genus Citellus and chipmunks of the genus Tamias. [1680 90, Amer.] * * * Any of numerous relatively short legged, terrestrial rodents of the squirrel family (Sciuridae), found… …   Universalium

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  • Striped Ground Squirrel — Taxobox name = Striped Ground Squirrel status = LC | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Mammalia ordo = Rodentia familia = Sciuridae genus = Xerus subgenus = Euxerus subgenus authority = Thomas, 1909 species = X …   Wikipedia

  • ground — (ground), n. [OE. ground, grund, AS. grund; akin to D. grond, OS., G., Sw., & Dan. grund, Icel. grunnr bottom, Goth. grundus (in composition); perh. orig. meaning, dust, gravel, and if so perh. akin to E. grind.] 1. The surface of the earth; the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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