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Otospermophilus
''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 dog Prairie dogs (genus ''Cynomys'') are herbivorous burrowing Marmotini, ground squirrels native to the grasslands of North America. There are five recognized species of prairie dog: black-tailed prairie dog, black-tailed, white-tailed prairie dog ...s and marmots, it is now separated, along with six other genera. Species The three species in ''Otospermophilus'' are listed below. These are the same species that were previously grouped in the subgenus ''Otospermophilus''. :* Baja California rock squirrel, ''Otospermophilus atricapillus'' :* California ground squirrel, ''Otospermophilus beecheyi'' :* Ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baja California Rock Squirrel
The Baja California rock squirrel (''Otospermophilus atricapillus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Baja California, Mexico.Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Castro-Arellano, I.; Lacher, T. (2008). "Otospermophilus beecheyi ssp. atricapillus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T20480A9205705. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/1006514/22261841''Otospermophilus atricapillus'' is considered as the sister species of ''Otospermophilus beecheyi'' and both have been considered different species mainly by its colorations. The rock squirrel is a relatively large ground squirrel, with males typically larger than females. Their fur is generally gray with a mottled or variegated pattern, giving them a distinctive appearance. Their tails are long and bushy, often used for balance and communication. Their heads are broad with small, rounded ears and large, expressive eyes. Distribution Rock squirrels are primarily foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California Ground Squirrel
The California ground squirrel (''Otospermophilus beecheyi''), also known as the Beechey ground squirrel, is a common and easily observed ground squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California Peninsula; it is common in Oregon and California and its range has relatively recently extended into Washington and northwestern Nevada. Formerly placed in '' Spermophilus'', as ''Spermophilus beecheyi'', it was reclassified in '' Otospermophilus'' in 2009, as it became clear that ''Spermophilus'' as previously defined was not a natural (monophyletic) group. A full species account was published for this species in 2016. Etymology John Richardson, who originally described the species as ''Arctomys (Spermophilus) beecheyi'', or "Beechey's marmot", named it after Frederick William Beechey, an early 19th-century British explorer and naval officer. Description The squirrel's upper parts are mottled, with the fur containing a mixture of gray, light brown and dusky hairs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rock Squirrel
The rock squirrel (''Otospermophilus variegatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is native to Mexico and the Southwestern United States, including southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and the panhandle of Oklahoma.{{Cite web, url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Spermophilus_variegatus/, title="Spermophilus variegatus rock squirrel", last=Langstaff, first=Lucas, website=nhpbs.org, access-date=2019-10-11 Characteristics Rock squirrels are one of the largest members of the family Sciuridae, with adults measuring up to 21 inches (53 cm) in length. In front and on top, the squirrel's coat is a speckled grayish brown; on the rear and bottom, the gray becomes a more mottled brownish-black tone. They have a marked light-colored ring around their eyes and pointed ears that project well above their heads. Rock squirrels have a long, bushy tail with white edges. Otospermophilus variegatus.webm, Alarm call Otospermophilus_variegatus. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ground Squirrel
Ground squirrels are rodents of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) that generally live on the ground or in burrows, rather than in trees like the tree squirrels. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots (genus ''Marmota'') or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less bushy-tailed ground squirrels tend to be known as chipmunks (genus ''Tamias''). Together, they make up the "marmot Tribe (biology), tribe" of squirrels, Marmotini, a clade within the large and mainly ground squirrel subfamily Xerinae, and containing six living genera. Well-known members of this largely Holarctic group are the marmots (''Marmota''), including the American groundhog, the chipmunks, the susliks (''Spermophilus''), and the prairie dogs (''Cynomys''). They are highly variable in size and Morphology (biology), habitus, but most are remarkably able to rise up on their hind legs and upright posture, stand fully erect comfortably for pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spermophilus
''Spermophilus'' is a genus of ground squirrels in the Sciuridae, squirrel family. As traditionally defined the genus was very species-rich, ranging through Europe, Asia and North America, but this arrangement was found to be paraphyletic to the certainly distinct prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels. As a consequence, all the former ''Spermophilus'' species of North America have been moved to other genera, leaving the European and Asian species as true ''Spermophilus'' (the only exceptions are two Asian ''Urocitellus''). Some species are sometimes called susliks (or sousliks). This name comes from Russian :ru:Суслики, суслик, ''suslik''. In some languages, a derivative of the name is in common usage, for example ''suseł'' in Polish. The scientific name of this genus means "seed-lovers" (gr. σπέρμα ''sperma'', genitive σπέρματος ''spermatos'' – seed; φίλος ''philos'' – friend, lover). Habitat and behavior As typical ground squirr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sciuridae
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), 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. 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. Etymology The word ''squirrel'', first attested in 1327, comes from the Anglo-Norman which is from the Old French , the reflex of a Latin language">Latin word , which was taken from the Ancient Greek word (; from ) 'shadow-tailed', referring to the long bushy tail which many of its members have. ''Sciurus'' is also the name of one of its genuses. The native Old English language, Old English word for the squirrel, , only survived into Middle Eng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology (biology), morphology, behaviour, or ecological niche. In addition, palaeontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. The most recent rigorous estimate for the total number of species of eukaryotes is between 8 and 8.7 million. About 14% of these had been described by 2011. All species (except viruses) are given a binomial nomenclature, two-part name, a "binomen". The first part of a binomen is the name of a genus to which the species belongs. The second part is called the specific name (zoology), specific name or the specific ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. ''Panthera leo'' (lion) and ''Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomy (biology), taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants of an ancestral taxon are grouped together (i.e. Phylogeneti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben
Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben (; 22 June 1744 – 19 August 1777) was a German naturalist from Quedlinburg. Erxleben was professor of physics and veterinary medicine at the University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 .... He wrote ''Anfangsgründe der Naturlehre'' (1772) and ''Systema regni animalis'' (1777). He was founder of the first and oldest academic veterinary school in Germany, the Institute of Veterinary Medicine, in 1771. He was the son of Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, the first woman in Germany to earn a medical degree. Works * 1767 ''Einige Anmerkungen über das Insektensystem des Hr. Geoffroy und die Schäfferschen Verbesserungen desselben''. Hannoverisches Magazin, Hannover (Stück 20). 305–316. * 1772 ''Anfangsgründe der Natu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai, Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery. Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their Stream channel, channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was Tectonic uplift, uplifted. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
