Xerinae

The Xerinae comprise a subfamily of squirrels, many of which are highly terrestrial. It includes the tribes Marmotini (marmots, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and other Holarctic ground squirrels), Xerini (African and some Eurasian ground squirrels), and Protoxerini (African tree squirrels).^[1]

Xerinae
South African ground squirrel (Xerus inauris)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Subfamily:	Xerinae Osborn, 1910
Tribes and genera
Xerini Atlantoxerus Euxerus Geosciurus Spermophilopsis Xerus Protoxerini Epixerus Funisciurus Heliosciurus Myosciurus Paraxerus Protoxerus Marmotini Ammospermophilus Callospermophilus Cynomys Eutamias Ictidomys Marmota Neotamias Notocitellus Otospermophilus Poliocitellus Sciurotamias Spermophilus Tamias Urocitellus Xerospermophilus

The Xerinae first originated in Eurasia but later dispersed to other parts of the world. One of which was Africa, where they traveled via land bridges in the Miocene period, leading to the emergence of Protoxerini and Xerini ground squirrel tribes. Many Xerinae also dispersed to North America during the early Oligocene era, and with the help of global cooling and the expansion of grasslands, resulted in the emergence of the Marmotini ground squirrel tribe.^[2]

Taxonomy

Tribe Xerini six species of ground squirrels in five genera, occurring in Africa and Asia.

Atlantoxerus

Euxerus

Geosciurus

Spermophilopsis

Xerus

Tribe Protoxerini thirty species of tree squirrels in six genera, occurring in Africa.

Epixerus

Funisciurus

Heliosciurus

Myosciurus

Paraxerus

Protoxerus

Tribe Marmotini ground squirrels in fifteen genera, occurring world wide. Includes the prairie dogs, the marmots (including woodchuck), and chipmunks.

Ammospermophilus

Callospermophilus

Cynomys

Eutamias

Ictidomys

Marmota

Neotamias

Notocitellus

Otospermophilus

Poliocitellus

Sciurotamias

Spermophilus

Tamias

Urocitellus

Xerospermophilus