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Xerospermophilus
Round-tailed ground squirrel in Phoenix, Arizona
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Tribe:	Marmotini
Genus:	Xerospermophilus Merriam, 1892
Type species
Spermophilus mohavensis Merriam, 1889
Species
X. mohavensis X. tereticaudus X. spilosoma X. perotensis

Pygmy ground squirrels are small ground squirrels in the genus Xerospermophilus, family Sciuridae, containing four species from Mexico and the United States. The members of this genus were formerly placed in the large ground squirrel genus Spermophilus. Since DNA sequencing of the cytochrome b gene showed that Spermophilus (as then defined) was paraphyletic to the prairie dogs and marmots, this group is now separated, along with six other genera. Within the genus, the Mohave ground squirrel and the round-tailed ground squirrel were thought to be close relatives, sometimes a subgenus Xerospermophilus, while the spotted ground squirrel and the Perote ground squirrel were formerly placed in the subgenus (now a genus) Ictidomys.

The name of the genus is a combination of the Greek word xeros, "dry", and Spermophilus, which also comes from Greek, meaning "seed lovers".

Species

The four species in Xerospermophilus are listed below. These were previously grouped in the subgenus Otospermophilus together with the rock squirrel and other related species.

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

References

1. Merriam, C. Hart (1892-04-01). "The Geographic Distribution of Life in North America with Special Reference to the Mammalia". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 7: 27.
2. Herron, Matthew D.; Castoe, Todd A.; Parkinson, Christopher L. (2004). "Sciurid phylogeny and the paraphyly of Holarctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 31 (3): 1015–30. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.09.015. PMID 15120398.
3. ^ Helgen, Kristofer M.; Cole, F. Russel; Helgen, Lauren E. & Wilson, Don E (2009). "Generic Revision in the Holarctic Ground Squirrel Genus Spermophilus" (PDF). Journal of Mammalogy. 90 (2): 270–305. doi:10.1644/07-MAMM-A-309.1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2012.

v t e Sciuromorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia
†Allomyidae Allomys Alwoodia Campestrallomys Downsimus Haplomys Oropyctis Parallomys Pelycomys Plesispermophilus Rudiomys Spurimus Aplodontiidae †Altasciurus †Ameniscomys †Ansomys Aplodontia †Dakotallomys †Disallomys †Ephemeromys †Haplomys †Leptoromys †Liodontia †Meniscomys †Niglarodon †Ninamys †Oligopetes †Paracitellus †Paransomys †Proansomys †Prosciurus †Pseudaplodon †Sciurodon †Selenomys †Sewelleladon †Tardontia †Trigonomys Gliridae †Bransatoglirinae Bransatoglis Oligodyromys Glirinae Glirulus Glis Graphiurinae Graphiurus Leithiinae Chaetocauda Dryomys Eliomys †Hypnomys †Leithia Muscardinus Myomimus Selevinia †Mylagaulidae Galbreathia †Mesogaulinae Mesogaulus †Mylagaulinae Alphagaulus Ceratogaulus Hesperogaulus Mylagaulus Notogaulus Pterogaulus Umbogaulus †Promylagaulinae Crucimys Promylagaulus Simpligaulus Trilaccogaulus †Reithroparamyidae Reithroparamys Uriscus Sciuridae †Hesperopetes †Kherem †Lagrivea †Oligosciurus †Plesiosciurus †Prospermophilus †Sciurion †Similisciurus †Sinotamias †Vulcanisciurus Callosciurinae Callosciurini Callosciurus Dremomys Exilisciurus Glyphotes Hyosciurus Lariscus Menetes Nannosciurus Prosciurillus Rhinosciurus Rubrisciurus Sundasciurus Tamiops Funambulini Funambulus †Cedromurinae Cedromus Oligospermophilus Ratufinae Ratufa Sciurillinae Sciurillus Sciurinae Pteromyini Aeretes Aeromys Belomys Biswamoyopterus Eoglaucomys Eupetaurus Glaucomys Hylopetes Iomys †Miopetaurista †Neopetes Petaurillus Petaurista Petinomys †Pliopetaurista Priapomys Pteromys Pteromyscus Trogopterus Sciurini †Douglassciurus †Freudenthalia Guerlinguetus Microsciurus †Miosciurus †Plesiosciurus †Protosciurus Rheithrosciurus Sciurus Syntheosciurus Xerinae Marmotini Ammospermophilus †Arctomyoides Callospermophilus Cynomys Eutamias Ictidomys Marmota †Miospermophilus Neotamias Notocitellus †Nototamias Otospermophilus †Paenamarmota †Palaearctomys †Palaeosciurus Poliocitellus †Protospermophilus Sciurotamias †Spermophilinus Spermophilus Tamias Urocitellus Xerospermophilus Protoxerini Epixerus Funisciurus Heliosciurus Myosciurus Paraxerus Protoxerus Xerini †Aragoxerus Atlantoxerus Euxerus Geosciurus †Heteroxerus Spermophilopsis Xerus

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• Xerospermophilus
• Rodent genera
• Taxa named by Clinton Hart Merriam
• Ground squirrel stubs