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This article is about the squirrel family (Sciuridae) as a whole. For other uses, see Squirrel (disambiguation).
Squirrels
Temporal range: Late Eocene – Recent
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Various members of the family Sciuridae
Callosciurus prevostii Eutamias sibiricus Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Sciurus niger Urocitellus columbianus Paraxerus cepapi
Geosciurus inauris Marmota sp. Cynomys ludovicianus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Family: Sciuridae
Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Type genus
Sciurus
Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies and tribes
Subfamily Ratufinae
Subfamily Sciurillinae
Subfamily Sciurinae
Tribe Sciurini
Tribe Pteromyini
Subfamily Callosciurinae
Tribe Callosciurini
Tribe Funambulini
Subfamily Xerinae
Tribe Xerini
Tribe Protoxerini
Tribe Marmotini
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (/sɪˈjuːrɪdeɪ, -diː/), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and were introduced by humans to Australia.[1] The earliest known fossilized squirrels date from the Eocene epoch, and among other living rodent families, the squirrels are most closely related to the mountain beaver and dormice.[2]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 Characteristics
2.1 Head
2.2 Tail
3 Lifetime
4 Behavior
4.1 Feeding
5 Taxonomy
5.1 Taxonomy list
6 Relationship with humans
7 See also
8 References
9 Sources
10 Further reading
11 External links
Etymology
[edit]
The word squirrel, first attested in 1327, comes from the Anglo-Norman esquirel which is from the Old French escureil,[3] the reflex of a Latin word sciurus,[3] which was taken from the Ancient Greek word σκίουρος (skiouros; from σκία ('shade') and ουρα ('tail')),[3] referring to the long bushy tail which many of its members have.[4][5] Sciurus is also the name of one of its genuses.[5]
The Old English word for the squirrel, ācweorna, survived into Middle English as aquerne[6] before being replaced. The Old English word is of Common Germanic origin, cognates of which are still used in other Germanic languages, including the German Eichhörnchen (diminutive of Eichhorn,[3] which is not as frequently used); the Norwegian ikorn/ekorn; the Dutch eekhoorn; the Swedish ekorre and the Danish egern.
A group of squirrels is called a "dray"[7] or a "scurry".[8]
Characteristics
[edit]
Reaching out for food on a garden bird feeder, this squirrel can rotate its hind feet, allowing it to descend a tree headfirst.
Skull of an Oriental giant squirrel (genus Ratufa)—note the classic sciuromorphous shape of the anterior zygomatic region.
Squirrels are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel and least pygmy squirrel at 10–14 cm (3.9–5.5 in) in total length and just 12–26 g (0.42–0.92 oz) in weight,[9][10] to the Bhutan giant flying squirrel at up to 1.27 m (4 ft 2 in) in total length,[11] and several marmot species, which can weigh 8 kg (18 lb) or more.[12][13] Squirrels typically have slender bodies with long, bushy tails and large eyes. In general, their fur is soft and silky, though much thicker in some species than others. The coat color of squirrels is highly variable between—and often even within—species.[14]
In most squirrel species, the hind limbs are longer than the forelimbs, while all species have either four or five toes on each foot. The feet, which include an often poorly developed thumb, have soft pads on the undersides[15] and versatile, sturdy claws for grasping and climbing.[16] Tree squirrels, unlike most mammals, can descend a tree headfirst. They do so by rotating their ankles 180 degrees, enabling the hind feet to point backward and thus grip the tree bark from the opposite direction.[17]
Head
[edit]
As their large eyes indicate, squirrels have excellent vision, which is especially important for the tree-dwelling species. Many also have a good sense of touch, with vibrissae on their limbs as well as their heads.[15]
The teeth of sciurids follow the typical rodent pattern, with large incisors (for gnawing) that grow throughout life, and cheek teeth (for grinding) that are set back behind a wide gap, or diastema. The typical dental formula for sciurids is
1.0.1.3
1.0.1.3
.[18]
Tail
[edit]
The purposes of squirrels' tails, to benefit the squirrel, include:[19]
To keep rain, wind, or cold off itself.
To cool off when hot, by pumping more blood through its tail.
As a counterbalance when jumping about in trees
As a parachute when jumping.
To signal with.
The hairs from squirrel tails are prized in fly fishing when tying fishing flies.[20] Squirrel hair is very fine, making it better for tying fishing flies.[21]
When the squirrel sits upright, its tail folded up its back may stop predators looking from behind from seeing the characteristic shape of a small mammal.
Lifetime
[edit]
Squirrels live in almost every habitat, from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert, avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts. They are predominantly herbivorous, subsisting on seeds and nuts, but many will eat insects and even small vertebrates.[22]
Many juvenile squirrels die in the first year of life. Adult squirrels can have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild. Some can survive 10 to 20 years in captivity.[23] Premature death may occur when a nest falls from the tree, in which case the mother may abandon her young if their body temperature is not correct. Many such baby squirrels have been rescued and fostered by a professional wildlife rehabilitator until they could be safely returned to the wild,[24] although the density of squirrel populations in many places and the constant care required by premature squirrels means that few rehabilitators are willing to spend their time doing this and such animals are routinely euthanized instead.
Squirrel in sunlight
Squirrel in sunlight
Squirrel in Chandigarh
Squirrel in Chandigarh
Squirrel near Chandigarh
Squirrel near Chandigarh
Squirrel on mango tree
Squirrel on mango tree
Behavior
[edit]
Young squirrels, known as kits
Squirrels mate either once or twice a year and, following a gestation period of three to six weeks, give birth to a number of offspring that varies by species. The young are altricial, being born naked, toothless, and blind. In most species of squirrel, the female alone looks after the young, which are weaned at six to ten weeks and become sexually mature by the end of their first year. In general, the ground-dwelling squirrel species are social, often living in well-developed colonies, while the tree-dwelling species are more solitary.[15]
Ground squirrels and tree squirrels are usually either diurnal or crepuscular,[25] while the flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal—except for lactating flying squirrels and their young, which have a period of diurnality during the summer.[26]
During hot periods, squirrels have been documented to sploot, or lay their stomachs down on cool surfaces.[27]
Squirrels, like other rodents, employ species-specific strategies to store food, buffering against periods of scarcity.[28] In temperate regions, squirrels commonly cache nuts beneath leaf litter, inside hollow trees, or underground.[29] However, in subtropical and humid environments, traditional caching can lead to mold growth, decomposition, or premature germination.[30] To counteract these challenges, some squirrels, particularly in subtropical zones, hang nuts or mushrooms on tree branches.[30] This behavior, believed to minimize fungal infections and reduce the risk of food loss, also inadvertently aids certain trees, like Cyclobalanopsis, in expanding their range, with forgotten or dislodged nuts sprouting in new locations, influencing forest ecology.[31] Two species of flying squirrel, the particolored flying squirrel and Hainan flying squirrel aid such cacheing by carving grooves into the nuts to fix the nuts tightly between small intersecting twigs, akin to the mortise-tenon joint in carpentry.[31]
Feeding
[edit]
Squirrel eating a fruit in Manyara National Park, Tanzania
Red squirrel in the Seurasaari island in Helsinki, Finland. The tame red squirrels on that island have become accustomed to humans thanks to their long-term feeding.[32]
Squirrel retrieving and eating pumpkin seeds.
Because squirrels cannot digest cellulose, they must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. In temperate regions, early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels because the nuts they buried are beginning to sprout (and thus are no longer available to eat), while many of the usual food sources are not yet available. During these times, squirrels rely heavily on tree buds. Squirrels, being primarily herbivores, eat a wide variety of plants, as well as nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation. Some squirrels, however, also consume meat, especially when faced with hunger.[22][33] Squirrels have been known to eat small birds, young snakes, and smaller rodents, as well as bird eggs and insects. Some tropical squirrel species have shifted almost entirely to a diet of insects.[34]
Squirrels, like pigeons, feral cats, and other fauna, are synanthropes, in that they benefit and thrive from their interaction in human environments. This gradual process of successful interaction is called synurbanization, wherein squirrels lose their inherent fear of humans in an urban environment.[35] When squirrels were almost completely eradicated during the Industrial Revolution in New York, they were later re-introduced to "entertain and remind" humans of nature. The squirrel blended into the urban environment so efficiently that when synanthropic behavior stops (e.g. people do not leave trash outside during particularly cold winters), they can become aggressive in their search for food.
Aggression and predatory behavior has been observed in various species of ground squirrels, in particular the thirteen-lined ground squirrel.[36] For example, Bernard Bailey, a scientist in the 1920s, observed a thirteen-lined ground squirrel preying upon a young chicken.[37] Wistrand reported seeing this same species eating a freshly killed snake.[38] Sometimes squirrels prey on an atypical animal: a pack of black squirrels in 2005 killed and ate a large stray dog in Lazo, Russia.[39] Squirrel attacks on humans are exceedingly rare.[40][41]
Whitaker examined the stomachs of 139 thirteen-lined ground squirrels and found bird flesh in four of the specimens and the remains of a short-tailed shrew in one;[42] Bradley, examining the stomachs of white-tailed antelope squirrels, found at least 10% of his 609 specimens' stomachs contained some type of vertebrate, mostly lizards and rodents.[43] Morgart observed a white-tailed antelope squirrel capturing and eating a silky pocket mouse.[44]
Taxonomy
[edit]
A fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) outside the Cleveland Museum of Art
A squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus thaiwanensis) in Japan
Three-coloured Prevost's Squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) in Zagreb Zoo, Croatia
Further information: List of sciurids
The living squirrels are divided into five subfamilies, with about 58 genera and some 285 species.[45] The oldest squirrel fossil, Hesperopetes, dates back to the Chadronian (late Eocene, about 40–35 million years ago) and is similar to modern flying squirrels.[46]
A variety of fossil squirrels, from the latest Eocene to the Miocene, have not been assigned with certainty to any living lineage. At least some of these probably were variants of the oldest basal "protosquirrels" (in the sense that they lacked the full range of living squirrels' autapomorphies). The distribution and diversity of such ancient and ancestral forms suggest the squirrels as a group may have originated in North America.[47]
Apart from these sometimes little-known fossil forms, the phylogeny of the living squirrels is fairly straightforward. The three main lineages are the Ratufinae (Oriental giant squirrels), Sciurillinae and all other subfamilies. The Ratufinae contain a mere handful of living species in tropical Asia. The neotropical pygmy squirrel of tropical South America is the sole living member of the Sciurillinae. The third lineage, by far the largest, has a near-cosmopolitan distribution. This further supports the hypothesis that the common ancestor of all squirrels, living and fossil, lived in North America, as these three most ancient lineages seem to have radiated from there; if squirrels had originated in Eurasia, for example, one would expect quite ancient lineages in Africa, but African squirrels seem to be of more recent origin.[47]
The main group of squirrels can be split into five subfamilies: the Callosciurinae, 60 species mostly found in South East Asia; the Ratufinae, 4 cat-sized species found in south and southeast Asia; the Sciurinae, which contains the flying squirrels (Pteromyini) and the tree squirrels, 83 species found worldwide;[48] Sciurillinae, a single South American species; and Xerinae, which includes three tribes of mostly terrestrial squirrels, including the Marmotini (marmots, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and other Holarctic ground squirrels), Xerini (African and some Eurasian ground squirrels), and Protoxerini (African tree squirrels).
Taxonomy list
[edit]
Basal and incertae sedis Sciuridae (all fossil)
Hesperopetes
Kherem
Lagrivea
Oligosciurus
Plesiosciurus
Prospermophilus
Sciurion
Similisciurus
Sinotamias
Vulcanisciurus
Subfamily Cedromurinae (fossil)
Subfamily Ratufinae – Oriental giant squirrels (1 genus, 4 species)
Subfamily Sciurillinae – neotropical pygmy squirrel (monotypic)
Subfamily Sciurinae
Tribe Sciurini – tree squirrels (5 genera, about 38 species)
Tribe Pteromyini – true flying squirrels (15 genera, about 45 species)
Subfamily Callosciurinae – Asian ornate squirrels
Tribe Callosciurini (13 genera, nearly 60 species)
Tribe Funambulini palm squirrels (1 genus, 5 species)
Subfamily Xerinae – terrestrial squirrels
Tribe Xerini – spiny squirrels (3 genera, 6 species)
Tribe Protoxerini (6 genera, about 50 species)
Tribe Marmotini – ground squirrels, marmots, chipmunks, prairie dogs, etc. (6 genera, about 90 species)
Sciuridae[49]
[50] [51] [52]
Sciurinae
Pteromyini
Eoglaucomys
Glaucomys
Iomys
Hylopetes
Petaurillus
Petinomys
Petaurista
Pteromys
Aeromys
Biswamoyopterus
Eupetaurus
Pteromyscus
Belomys
Aeretes
Trogopterus
Sciurini
Tamiasciurus
Rheithrosciurus
Sciurus
Microsciurus
Syntheosciurus
Callosciurinae
Callosciurini
Exilisciurus
Menetes
Rhinosciurus
Callosciurus
Nannosciurus
Lariscus
Sundasciurus
Hyosciurus
Prosciurillus
Rubrisciurus
Dremomys
Glyphotes
Tamiops
Funambulini
Funambulus
Xerinae
Xerini
Spermophilopsis
Atlantoxerus
Xerus
Marmotini
Sciurotamias
Eutamias
Neotamias
Tamias
Ammospermophilus
Notocitellus
Callospermophilus
Otospermophilus
Marmota
Spermophilus
Urocitellus
Ictidomys
Poliocitellus
Cynomys
Xerospermophilus
Protoxerini
Heliosciurus
Epixerus
Funisciurus
Myosciurus
Paraxerus
Protoxerus
Sciurillinae
Sciurillus
Ratufinae
Ratufa
Relationship with humans
[edit]
Main article: Tree squirrel § Relationship with humans
See also
[edit]
icon Mammals portal
List of animal names#squirrel
Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (Kuru) from eating squirrel brains.[53][54]
References
[edit]
^ Seebeck, J. H. "Sciuridae" (PDF). Fauna of Australia. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
^ Kay, Emily H.; Hoekstra, Hopi E. (20 May 2008). "Rodents". Current Biology. 18 (10): R406 – R410. Bibcode:2008CBio...18.R406K. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.03.019. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 18492466.
^ a b c d "Squirrel". Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 10 (Sole–Sz) (1 Corrected re-issue ed.). Oxford, UK: The Clarendon Press. 1933. p. 749 – via Internet Archive.
^ "squirrel, n.". The Oxford English Dictionary (2nd. ed.). Oxford University Press. 1989. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
^ a b Whitaker & Elman 1980, p. 370.
^ "Aquerne". Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 1 (A–B) (1 Corrected re-issue, 1970 reprint ed.). Oxford, UK: The Clarendon Press. 1913. p. 422 – via Internet Archive.
^ Lipton, James (1991). An Exaltation of Larks. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-30044-0.
^ Universe in Your Pocket by Joel Levy, published by Barnes & Noble, Inc.
^ Kingdon, J. (1997). The Kingdon Guide to African Mammals. Academic Press Limited, London. ISBN 0-12-408355-2.
^ Payne, J.; C.F. Francis (1998). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo (3 ed.). The Sabah Society. p. 243. ISBN 967-99947-1-6.
^ Choudhury, A. (2002). "Petaurista nobilis singhei: First record in India and a note on its taxonomy". The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 99 (1): 30–34.
^ Kryštufek, B.; B. Vohralík (2013). "Taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic rodents (Rodentia). Part 2. Sciuridae: Urocitellus, Marmota and Sciurotamias". Lynx, N. S. (Praha). 44: 27–138.
^ Armitage, K.B.; Blumstein, D.T. (2002). "Body-mass diversity in marmots. Holarctic marmots as a factor of biodiversity". In K.B. Armitage; V.Yu. Rumiantsev (eds.). Holarctic Marmots as a Factor of Biodiversity. ABF Publishing House. pp. 22–32.
^ Tree Squirrels, Wildlife Online, 23 November 2010.
^ a b c Milton (1984)
^ "Rodents". How Stuff Works. 22 April 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
^ Thorington, Richard W.; Koprowski, John L.; Steele, Michael A.; Whatton, James F. (2012). Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 8. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1.
^ The Beginning of the Age of Mammals Kenneth D. Rose (2006) ISBN 978-0-801-88472-6 p. 326
^ "Why do squirrels have bushy tails? | Nuts About Squirrels".
^ Genova, Cosmo (11 January 2022). "How to Preserve a Squirrel Pelt For Fly Tying". Field & Stream. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
^ Valla, Mike (5 September 2016). Tying and Fishing Bucktails and Other Hair Wings: Atlantic Salmon Flies to Steelhead Flies. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8117-6532-9.
^ a b Squirrel Place Archived 27 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine. squirrels.org. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
^ Thorington, Richard W.; Koprowski, John L.; Steele, Michael A.; Whatton, James F. (2012). Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1.
^ "Squirrel Rehab". Retrieved 19 August 2017.
^ "Red & Gray Squirrels in Massachusetts". MassWildlife. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
^ Törmälä, Timo; Vuorinen, Hannu; Hokkanen, Heikki (1980). "Timing of circadian activity in the flying squirrel in central Finland". Acta Theriologica. 25 (32–42): 461–474. doi:10.4098/at.arch.80-42. ISSN 0001-7051.
^ McNamee, Kai (29 June 2023). "The heat is making squirrels 'sploot' — a goofy act that signals something serious". NPR. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
^ Andersson, Malte; Krebs, John (1978). "On the evolution of hoarding behaviour". Animal Behaviour. 26: 707–711. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(78)90137-9. ISSN 0003-3472. S2CID 53154232.
^ HADJ-CHIKH, LEILA Z.; STEELE, MICHAEL A.; SMALLWOOD, PETER D. (1996). "Caching decisions by grey squirrels: a test of the handling time and perishability hypotheses". Animal Behaviour. 52 (5): 941–948. doi:10.1006/anbe.1996.0242. ISSN 0003-3472.
^ a b Xiao, Zhishu; Gao, Xu; Zhang, Zhibin (5 April 2013). "The combined effects of seed perishability and seed size on hoarding decisions by Pére David's rock squirrels". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 67 (7): 1067–1075. Bibcode:2013BEcoS..67.1067X. doi:10.1007/s00265-013-1531-8. ISSN 0340-5443. S2CID 253815798.
^ a b Xu, Han; Xia, Lian; Spence, John R; Lin, Mingxian; Lu, Chunyang; Li, Yanpeng; Chen, Jie; Luo, Tushou; Li, Yide; Fang, Suqin (13 June 2023). "Flying squirrels use a mortise-tenon structure to fix nuts on understory twigs". eLife. 12: e84967. doi:10.7554/elife.84967. ISSN 2050-084X. PMC 10328505. PMID 37309191.
^ Merja Laavola: Eläinten elintasosairaudet näkyvät Seurasaaressa. Vartti Etelä-Helsinki, Sanoma Kaupunkilehdet, 2010. (in Finnish)
^ "Russian squirrel pack 'kills dog'". bbc.co.uk. 1 December 2005. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
^ Richard W. Thorington, Katie Ferrell – Squirrels: the animal answer guide, JHU Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8018-8402-0, ISBN 978-0-8018-8402-3, p. 75.
^ Peiman, Kathryn (June 2016). "Sublethal consequences of urban life for wild vertebrates". Environmental Reviews. 24 (4): 416–425. doi:10.1139/er-2016-0029. hdl:1807/74036.
^ Friggens, M. (2002). "Carnivory on Desert Cottontails by Texas Antelope Ground Squirrels". The Southwestern Naturalist. 47 (1): 132–133. Bibcode:2002SWNat..47..132F. doi:10.2307/3672818. JSTOR 3672818.
^ Bailey, B. (1923). "Meat-eating propensities of some rodents of Minnesota". Journal of Mammalogy. 4 (2): 129. doi:10.1093/jmammal/4.2.129.
^ Wistrand, E.H. (1972). "Predation on a Snake by Spermophilus tridecemlineatus". American Midland Naturalist. 88 (2): 511–512. doi:10.2307/2424389. JSTOR 2424389.
^ "Russian Squirrel Pack Kills Dog". BBC News. December 2005. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^ "Cornwall squirrel 'pack' attacks boy, three". BBC News. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^ Lafrance, Adrienne (21 June 2017). "When Squirrels Attack – A cautionary tale". The Atlantic. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
^ Whitaker, J.O. (1972). "Food and external parasites of Spermophilus tridecemlineatus in Vigo County, Indiana". Journal of Mammalogy. 53 (3): 644–648. doi:10.2307/1379067. JSTOR 1379067.
^ Bradley, W. G. (1968). "Food habits of the antelope ground squirrel in southern Nevada". Journal of Mammalogy. 49 (1): 14–21. doi:10.2307/1377723. JSTOR 1377723.
^ Morgart, J. R. (May 1985). "Carnivorous behavior by a white-tailed antelope ground squirrel Ammospermophilus leucurus". The Southwestern Naturalist. 30 (2): 304–305. Bibcode:1985SWNat..30..304M. doi:10.2307/3670745. JSTOR 3670745.
^ Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. (2011). "Class Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3148: 56–60. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3148.1.9.
^ Emry, R. J.; Korth, W. W. (2007). "A new genus of squirrel (Rodentia, Sciuridae) from the mid-Cenozoic of North America". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (3): 693–698. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[693:ANGOSR]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 85847849.
^ a b Steppan & Hamm (2006)
^ Steppan, S. J. B. L. Storz, and R. S. Hoffmann. 2004. Nuclear DNA phylogeny of the squirrels (Mammalia: Rodentia) and the evolution of arboreality from c-myc and RAG1. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 30:703-719.
^ Sheets, A. D.; Chavez, A. S. (2020). "Evolution of Pelage Luminance in Squirrels (Sciuridae)". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 8 (249). doi:10.3389/fevo.2020.00249.
^ Hawkins, M. T. R.; Leonard, J. A.; Helgen, K. M.; McDonough, M. M.; Rockwood, L. L.; Maldonado, J. E. (2016). "Evolutionary history of endemic Sulawesi squirrels constructed from UCEs and mitogenomes sequenced from museum specimens". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 16 (1). doi:10.1186/s12862-016-0650-z. hdl:10261/132111. PMC 4831120.
^ Arbogast, B. S. (2007). "A Brief History of the New World Flying Squirrels: Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Conservation Genetics". Journal of Mammalogy. 88 (4): 840–849. doi:10.1644/06-mamm-s-322r1.1.
^ Helgen, K. M.; Cole, F. R.; Helgen, L. E.; Wilson, D. 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.
^ Blakeslee, Sandra (29 August 1997). "Kentucky Doctors Warn Against a Regional Dish: Squirrels' Brains". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
^ Rettner, Rachael (15 October 2018). "Man Dies from Extremely Rare Disease After Eating Squirrel Brains". LiveScience. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
Sources
[edit]
Whitaker, John O. Jr.; Elman, Robert (1980). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mammals (2nd ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Jr. ISBN 0-394-50762-2.
Further reading
[edit]
Milton, Katherine (1984): "Family Sciuridae". In: Macdonald, D. (ed.): The Encyclopedia of Mammals: 612–623. Facts on File, New York. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
Steppan, Scott J. and Hamm, Shawn M. (2006): Tree of Life Web Project – "Sciuridae (Squirrels)". Version of 13 May 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
Steppan, S. J.; Storz, B. L.; Hoffmann, R. S. (2004). "Nuclear DNA phylogeny of the squirrels (Mammalia: Rodentia) and the evolution of arboreality from c-myc and RAG1". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 30 (3): 703–719. Bibcode:2004MolPE..30..703S. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00204-5. PMID 15012949.
Thorington, R.W. and Hoffmann, R.S. (2005): "Family Sciuridae". In: Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference: 754–818. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sciuridae.
Wikispecies has information related to Sciuridae.
Look up squirrel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Quotations related to Squirrel at Wikiquote
Tree of Life: Sciuridae
Squirrel Tracks: How to identify squirrel tracks in the wild
National Geographic link on Squirrels
List of names of squirrel taxa
vte
Extant families in order Rodentia
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Euarchontoglires
Sciuromorpha
("Squirrel-like")
Aplodontiidae (Mountain beaver) Gliridae (Dormice) Sciuridae (Squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, susliks and prairie dogs)
Castorimorpha
("Beaver-like")
Castoroidea Castoridae (Beavers)
Geomyoidea Geomyidae (Pocket gophers) Heteromyidae (Kangaroo rats and mice, pocket mice)
Myomorpha
("Mouse-like")
Dipodoidea Dipodidae (Jerboas, jumping mice and birch mice)
Muroidea Platacanthomyidae (Oriental dormice) Spalacidae (Zokors, bamboo rats, mole rats, blind mole rats) Calomyscidae (Mouse-like hamsters) Nesomyidae (Malagasy rats and relatives) Cricetidae (Hamsters and relatives) Muridae (House mouse and relatives)
Anomaluromorpha
("Anomalure-like")
Anomaluridae (Anomalures) Pedetidae (Springhares)
Hystricomorpha
("Porcupine-like")
Ctenodactylidae (Gundis) Diatomyidae (Laotian rock rat) Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
Phiomorpha Bathyergidae (Blesmols) Petromuridae (Dassie rat) Thryonomyidae (Cane rats)
Caviomorpha (New World hystricognaths) Erethizontidae (New World porcupines) Caviidae (Cavies) Cuniculidae (Pacas) Dasyproctidae (Agoutis and acouchis) Dinomyidae (Pacarana) Ctenomyidae (Tuco-tucos) Echimyidae (Spiny rats, coypus, hutias) Octodontidae (Degus and relatives) Abrocomidae (Chinchilla rats) Chinchillidae (Chinchillas and viscachas)
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Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamilies Ratufinae and Sciurillinae)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Ratufinae
(Oriental giant squirrels)
Ratufa
Cream-coloured giant squirrel (Ratufa affinis) Black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) Grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura)
Sciurillinae
Sciurillus
Neotropical pygmy squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus)
Category
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Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Callosciurinae)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Callosciurus
Ear-spot squirrel (Callosciurus adamsi) Kloss's squirrel (Callosciurus albescens) Kinabalu squirrel (Callosciurus baluensis) Grey-bellied squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps) Pallas's squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus) Finlayson's squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii) Hon Khoai squirrel (Callosciurus honkhoaiensis) Inornate squirrel (Callosciurus inornatus) Mentawai squirrel (Callosciurus melanogaster) Black-striped squirrel (Callosciurus nigrovittatus) Plantain squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) Borneo black-banded squirrel (Callosciurus orestes) Phayre's squirrel (Callosciurus phayrei) Prevost's squirrel (Callosciurus prevostii) Irrawaddy squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) Anderson's squirrel (Callosciurus quinquestriatus)
Dremomys
(Red-cheeked squirrels)
Bornean mountain ground squirrel (Dremomys everetti) Red-throated squirrel (Dremomys gularis) Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel (Dremomys lokriah) Perny's long-nosed squirrel (Dremomys pernyi) Red-hipped squirrel (Dremomys pyrrhomerus) Asian red-cheeked squirrel (Dremomys rufigenis)
Exilisciurus
Philippine pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus concinnus) Least pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus exilis) Tufted pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus whiteheadi)
Funambulus
Subgenus Funambulus: Layard's palm squirrel (Funambulus layardi) Dusky palm squirrel (Funambulus obscurus) Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) Nilgiri palm squirrel (Funambulus sublineatus) Jungle palm squirrel (Funambulus tristriatus)
Subgenus Prasadsciurus: Northern palm squirrel (Funambulus pennantii)
Glyphotes
Sculptor squirrel (Glyphotes simus)
Hyosciurus
Montane long-nosed squirrel (Hyosciurus heinrichi) Lowland long-nosed squirrel (Hyosciurus ileile)
Lariscus
(striped ground squirrels)
Four-striped ground squirrel (Lariscus hosei) Three-striped ground squirrel (Lariscus insignis) Niobe ground squirrel (Lariscus niobe) Mentawai three-striped squirrel (Lariscus obscurus)
Menetes
Berdmore's ground squirrel (Menetes berdmorei)
Nannosciurus
Black-eared squirrel (Nannosciurus melanotis)
Prosciurillus
Secretive dwarf squirrel (Prosciurillus abstrusus) Alston's Sulawesi dwarf squirrel (Prosciurillus alstoni) Whitish dwarf squirrel (Prosciurillus leucomus) Celebes dwarf squirrel (Prosciurillus murinus) Sanghir squirrel (Prosciurillus rosenbergii) Roux's Sulawesi dwarf squirrel (Prosciurillus topapuensis) Weber's dwarf squirrel (Prosciurillus weberi)
Rhinosciurus
Shrew-faced squirrel (Rhinosciurus laticaudatus)
Rubrisciurus
Red-bellied squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer)
Sundasciurus
Subgenus Aletesciurus: Davao squirrel (Sundasciurus davensis) Bornean mountain ground squirrel (Sundasciurus everetti) Horse-tailed squirrel (Sundasciurus hippurus) Northern Palawan tree squirrel (Sundasciurus juvencus) Mindanao squirrel (Sundasciurus mindanensis) Culion tree squirrel (Sundasciurus moellendorffi) Philippine tree squirrel (Sundasciurus philippinensis) Palawan montane squirrel (Sundasciurus rabori) Samar squirrel (Sundasciurus samarensis) Southern Palawan tree squirrel (Sundasciurus steerii)
Subgenus Sundasciurus: Brooke's squirrel (Sundasciurus brookei) Fraternal squirrel (Sundasciurus fraterculus) Jentink's squirrel (Sundasciurus jentinki) Low's squirrel (Sundasciurus lowii) Natuna squirrel (Sundasciurus natunensis) Robinson's squirrel (Sundasciurus robinsoni) Upland squirrel (Sundasciurus tahan) Slender squirrel (Sundasciurus tenuis)
Subgenus incertae sedis: Sumatran mountain squirrel (Sundasciurus altitudinis)
Tamiops
(Asiatic striped squirrels)
Himalayan striped squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii) Maritime striped squirrel (Tamiops maritimus) Cambodian striped squirrel (Tamiops rodolphii) Swinhoe's striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei)
Category
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Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Sciurinae, Sciurini tribe)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Microsciurus
(Dwarf squirrels)
Central American dwarf squirrel (Microsciurus alfari) Amazon dwarf squirrel (Microsciurus flaviventer) Western dwarf squirrel (Microsciurus mimulus) Santander dwarf squirrel (Microsciurus santanderensis)
Rheithrosciurus
Tufted ground squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis)
Sciurus
Subgenus Guerlinguetus Brazilian squirrel (Sciurus aestuans) South Yungas red squirrel (Sciurus argentinius) Yellow-throated squirrel (Sciurus gilvigularis) Red-tailed squirrel (Sciurus granatensis) Bolivian squirrel (Sciurus ignitus) Atlantic Forest squirrel (Sciurus ingrami) Andean squirrel (Sciurus pucheranii) Richmond's squirrel (Sciurus richmondi) Sanborn's squirrel (Sciurus sanborni) Guayaquil squirrel (Sciurus stramineus)
Subgenus Hadrosciurus Fiery squirrel (Sciurus flammifer) Junín red squirrel (Sciurus pyrrhinus)
Subgenus Hesperosciurus Western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus)
Subgenus Otosciurus Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti)
Subgenus Sciurus Allen's squirrel (Sciurus alleni) Arizona gray squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis) Mexican gray squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster) Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) Collie's squirrel (Sciurus colliaei) Deppe's squirrel (Sciurus deppei) Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis) Calabrian black squirrel (Sciurus meridionalis) Mexican fox squirrel (Sciurus nayaritensis) Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) Peters's squirrel (Sciurus oculatus) Variegated squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides) Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) Yucatan squirrel (Sciurus yucatanensis)
Subgenus Tenes Caucasian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus)
Subgenus Urosciurus Northern Amazon red squirrel (Sciurus igniventris) Southern Amazon red squirrel (Sciurus spadiceus)
Syntheosciurus
Bangs's mountain squirrel (Syntheosciurus brochus)
Tamiasciurus
(Pine squirrels)
Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) Southwestern red squirrel (Tamiasciurus fremonti) American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
Category
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Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Sciurinae, Pteromyini (Flying squirrels) tribe)
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Aeretes
Groove-toothed flying squirrel (Aeretes melanopterus)
Aeromys
(Large black flying squirrels)
Black flying squirrel (Aeromys tephromelas) Thomas's flying squirrel (Aeromys thomasi)
Belomys
Hairy-footed flying squirrel (Belomys pearsonii)
Biswamoyopterus
Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis) Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis)
Eoglaucomys
Kashmir flying squirrel (Eoglaucomys fimbriatus)
Eupetaurus
Western woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus nivamons) Tibetan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus tibetensis)
Glaucomys
(New World flying squirrels)
Humboldt's flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis) Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Hylopetes
Particolored flying squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger) Bartel's flying squirrel (Hylopetes bartelsi) Hainan flying squirrel (Hylopetes electilis) Palawan flying squirrel (Hylopetes nigripes) Indochinese flying squirrel (Hylopetes phayrei) Jentink's flying squirrel (Hylopetes platyurus) Arrow flying squirrel (Hylopetes sagitta) Sipora flying squirrel (Hylopetes sipora) Red-cheeked flying squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus) Sumatran flying squirrel (Hylopetes winstoni)
Iomys
Javanese flying squirrel (Iomys horsfieldi) Mentawi flying squirrel (Iomys sipora)
Petaurillus
(Pygmy flying squirrels)
Lesser pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus emiliae) Hose's pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus hosei) Selangor pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus kinlochii)
Petaurista
Red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) Spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans) Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys) Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (Petaurista magnificus) Mechuka giant flying squirrel (Petaurista mechukaensis) Mishmi giant flying squirrel (Petaurista mishmiensis) Bhutan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista nobilis) Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista) Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) Mebo giant flying squirrel (Petaurista siangensis) Chinese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista xanthotis)
Petinomys
Basilan flying squirrel (Petinomys crinitus) Travancore flying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus) Whiskered flying squirrel (Petinomys genibarbis) Hagen's flying squirrel (Petinomys hageni) Siberut flying squirrel (Petinomys lugens) Mindanao flying squirrel (Petinomys mindanensis) Arrow flying squirrel (Petinomys sagitta) Temminck's flying squirrel (Petinomys setosus) Vordermann's flying squirrel (Petinomys vordermanni)
Pteromys
(Old World flying squirrels)
Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga) Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans)
Pteromyscus
Smoky flying squirrel (Pteromyscus pulverulentus)
Trogopterus
Complex-toothed flying squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes)
Category
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Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Xerinae)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Xerini
Atlantoxerus
Barbary ground squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus)
Spermophilopsis
Long-clawed ground squirrel (Spermophilopsis leptodactylus)
Xerus
(African ground squirrels)
Subgenus Euxerus: Striped ground squirrel (Xerus erythropus)
Subgenus Geosciurus: Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) Mountain ground squirrel (Xerus princeps)
Subgenus Xerus: Unstriped ground squirrel (Xerus rutilus)
Protoxerini
Epixerus
Ebian's palm squirrel (Epixerus ebii)
Funisciurus
(African striped squirrels)
Thomas's rope squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) Lunda rope squirrel (Funisciurus bayonii) Carruther's mountain squirrel (Funisciurus carruthersi) Congo rope squirrel (Funisciurus congicus) Lady Burton's rope squirrel (Funisciurus isabella) Ribboned rope squirrel (Funisciurus lemniscatus) Red-cheeked rope squirrel (Funisciurus leucogenys) Fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus) Kintampo rope squirrel (Funisciurus substriatus)
Heliosciurus
(sun squirrels)
Gambian sun squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus) Mutable sun squirrel (Heliosciurus mutabilis) Small sun squirrel (Heliosciurus punctatus) Red-legged sun squirrel (Heliosciurus rufobrachium) Ruwenzori sun squirrel (Heliosciurus ruwenzorii) Zanj sun squirrel (Heliosciurus undulatus)
Myosciurus
African pygmy squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio)
Paraxerus
(African bush squirrels)
Alexander's bush squirrel (Paraxerus alexandri) Boehm's bush squirrel (Paraxerus boehmi) Smith's bush squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi) Cooper's mountain squirrel (Paraxerus cooperi) Striped bush squirrel (Paraxerus flavovittis) African red bush squirrel (Paraxerus lucifer) Ochre bush squirrel (Paraxerus ochraceus) Red bush squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus) Green bush squirrel (Paraxerus poensis) Swynnerton's bush squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius) Vincent's bush squirrel (Paraxerus vincenti)
Protoxerus
(African giant squirrels)
Slender-tailed squirrel (Protoxerus aubinnii) Forest giant squirrel (Protoxerus stangeri)
Marmotini
(ground squirrels)
Large tribe listed separately
Category
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Living species of tribe Marmotini (ground squirrels)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha Family: Sciuridae Subfamily: Xerinae
Ammospermophilus
(antelope squirrels)
Harris's antelope squirrel (A. harrisii) Espíritu Santo antelope squirrel (A. insularis) Texas antelope squirrel (A. interpres) White-tailed antelope squirrel (A. leucurus) San Joaquin antelope squirrel (A. nelsoni)
Callospermophilus
(golden-mantled ground squirrels)
Golden-mantled ground squirrel (C. lateralis) Sierra Madre ground squirrel (C. madrensis) Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel (C. saturatus)
Cynomys
(prairie dogs)
Gunnison's prairie dog (C. gunnisoni) White-tailed prairie dog (C. leucurus) Black-tailed prairie dog (C. ludovicianus) Mexican prairie dog (C. mexicanus) Utah prairie dog (C. parvidens)
Eutamias
Siberian chipmunk (E. sibiricus)
Ictidomys
(little ground squirrels)
Mexican ground squirrel (I. mexicanus) Rio Grande ground squirrel (I. parvidens) Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (I. tridecemlineatus)
Marmota
(marmots)
Subgenus Marmota: Gray marmot (M. baibacina)
Bobak marmot (M. bobak) Alaska marmot (M. broweri) Black-capped marmot (M. camtschatica) Long-tailed marmot (M. caudata) Himalayan marmot (M. himalayana) Alpine marmot (M. marmota) Menzbier's marmot (M. menzbieri) Groundhog or woodchuck (M. monax) Tarbagan marmot (M. sibirica)
Subgenus Petromarmota: Hoary marmot (M. caligata) Yellow-bellied marmot (M. flaviventris) Olympic marmot (M. olympus) Vancouver Island marmot (M. vancouverensis)
Neotamias
(western chipmunks)
Alpine chipmunk (N. alpinus) Yellow-pine chipmunk (N. amoenus) Buller's chipmunk (N. bulleri) Gray-footed chipmunk (N. canipes) Gray-collared chipmunk (N. cinereicollis) Cliff chipmunk (N. dorsalis) Durango chipmunk (N. durangae) Merriam's chipmunk (N. merriami) Least chipmunk (N. minimus) California chipmunk (N. obscurus) Yellow-cheeked chipmunk (N. ochrogenys) Palmer's chipmunk (N. palmeri) Panamint chipmunk (N. panamintinus) Long-eared chipmunk (N. quadrimaculatus) Colorado chipmunk (N. quadrivittatus) Red-tailed chipmunk (N. ruficaudus) Hopi chipmunk (N. rufus) Allen's chipmunk (N. senex) Siskiyou chipmunk (N. siskiyou) Sonoma chipmunk (N. sonomae) Lodgepole chipmunk (N. speciosus) Townsend's chipmunk (N. townsendii) Uinta chipmunk (N. umbrinus)
Notocitellus
Tropical ground squirrel (N. adocetus) Ring-tailed ground squirrel (N. annulatus)
Otospermophilus
(rock squirrels)
Baja California rock squirrel (O. atricapillus) California ground squirrel (O. beecheyi) Douglas ground squirrel (O. douglasii) Rock squirrel (O. variegatus)
Poliocitellus
Franklin's ground squirrel (P. franklinii)
Sciurotamias
(Asian rock squirrels)
Père David's rock squirrel (S. davidianus) Forrest's rock squirrel (S. forresti)
Spermophilus sensu stricto
(Old World ground squirrels)
Alashan ground squirrel (S. alashanicus) Brandt’s ground squirrel (S. brevicauda) European ground squirrel (S. citellus) Daurian ground squirrel (S. dauricus) Red-cheeked ground squirrel (S. erythrogenys) Yellow ground squirrel (S. fulvus) Russet ground squirrel (S. major) Caucasian mountain ground squirrel (S. musicus) Tian Shan ground squirrel (S. nilkaensis) Pallid ground squirrel (S. pallidicauda) Little ground squirrel (S. pygmaeus) Relict ground squirrel (S. relictus) Speckled ground squirrel (Spermophilus suslicus) Taurus ground squirrel (Spermophilus taurensis) Asia Minor ground squirrel (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus)
Tamias
Eastern chipmunk (T. striatus)
Urocitellus
(Holarctic ground squirrels)
Uinta ground squirrel (U. armatus) Belding's ground squirrel (U. beldingi) Northern Idaho ground squirrel (U. brunneus) Merriam's ground squirrel (U. canus) Columbian ground squirrel (U. columbianus) Wyoming ground squirrel (U. elegans) Southern Idaho ground squirrel (U. endemicus) Piute ground squirrel (U. mollis) Arctic ground squirrel (U. parryii) Richardson's ground squirrel (U. richardsonii) Townsend's ground squirrel (U. townsendii) Long-tailed ground squirrel (U. undulatus) Washington ground squirrel (U. washingtoni)
Xerospermophilus
(pygmy ground squirrels)
Mohave ground squirrel (X. mohavensis) Perote ground squirrel (X. perotensis) Spotted ground squirrel (X. spilosoma) Round-tailed ground squirrel (X. tereticaudus)
Category
Taxon identifiers
Sciuridae
Wikidata: Q9482 Wikispecies: Sciuridae ADW: Sciuridae AFD: Sciuridae BOLD: 1024 CoL: G48 EoL: 8703 EPPO: 1SCIUF Fauna Europaea: 12650 Fauna Europaea (new): fe08a026-6f72-4add-883b-27b62bd22a22 GBIF: 9456 iNaturalist: 45933 IRMNG: 105017 ITIS: 180135 MSW: 12400001 NBN: NHMSYS0000376182 NCBI: 55153 Open Tree of Life: 384218 Paleobiology Database: 41486 Plazi: C32887CB-FF96-BA65-FF3D-F905FE5BED9F
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