Tree squirrel
| Tree squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Gray squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sciurini | ||||||||||||
| Fischer de Waldheim , 1817 |
The tree squirrels are, in the broader sense, all squirrels that lead a tree-dwelling life. In a narrower sense, the tribe Sciurini is called tree squirrels, which includes squirrels and a number of little-known genera. Together with the tribe of the flying squirrels (Pteromyini) they form the subfamily of the tree and flying squirrels (Sciurinae).
There are five genera with around 35 species belonging to the tree squirrel, 29 of which belong to the squirrel genus:
- Red squirrel ( Sciurus )
- Central American mountain squirrel ( Syntheosciurus )
- Newworldly miniature squirrel ( Microsciurus )
- Borneo squirrel ( Rheithrosciurus )
- Red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus )
The newworldly tiny squirrel , which in older systematics was also counted among the tree squirrels, is not related to them according to more recent molecular genetic studies, but is managed in its own subfamily, Sciurillinae. The squirrels are likely to be a paraphyletic taxon with regard to Microsciurus , perhaps also to other genera.
Tree squirrels are a very old taxon that has been associated with the (paraphyletic) genus Protosciurus from North America since the Oligocene . Eurasian representatives are also known from the Miocene ( Freudenthalia , Plesiosciurus ). Today the tribe has its absolute main area of distribution in Central and South America.
literature
- Michael D. Carleton, Guy G. Musser: Order Rodentia. In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Volume 2. 3rd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 , pp. 745-1600.
