Otospermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the family Sciuridae, containing three species from Mexico and the United States. Otospermophilus was formerly placed in the large ground squirrel genus Spermophilus, as a subgenus or species group. Since DNA sequencing of the cytochrome b gene has shown Spermophilus to be paraphyletic to the prairie dogs and marmots,[2] it is now separated, along with six other genera.[3]
| Otospermophilus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Rock squirrel at the Grand Canyon | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Tribe: | Marmotini |
| Genus: | Otospermophilus Brandt, 1844 |
| Type species | |
| Sciurus grammurus[1] | |
| Species | |
Species
editThe three species in Otospermophilus are listed below. These are the same species that were previously grouped in the subgenus Otospermophilus.[3]
- Baja California rock squirrel, Otospermophilus atricapillus
- California ground squirrel, Otospermophilus beecheyi
- Rock squirrel, Otospermophilus variegatus
References
edit- ^ Howell, Arthur H. (April 1938). "Revision of the North American Ground Squirrels With a Classification of the North American Sciuridae". North American Fauna. 56: 43.
- ^ 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 15120398.1015-30&rft.date=2004&rft_id=info:doi/10.1016/j.ympev.2003.09.015&rft_id=info:pmid/15120398&rft.aulast=Herron&rft.aufirst=Matthew D.&rft.au=Castoe, Todd A.&rft.au=Parkinson, Christopher L.&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Otospermophilus" class="Z3988">
- ^ a b Helgen, Kristofer M.; Cole, F. Russel; Helgen, Lauren E. & 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-309.1.270-305&rft.date=2009&rft_id=info:doi/10.1644/07-MAMM-A-309.1&rft.au=Helgen, Kristofer M.&rft.au=Cole, F. Russel&rft.au=Helgen, Lauren E.&rft.au=Wilson, Don E&rft_id=https://doi.org/10.1644%2F07-MAMM-A-309.1&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Otospermophilus" class="Z3988">
External links
edit
Media related to Otospermophilus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Otospermophilus at Wikispecies
