Sciurinae is a subfamily of squirrels (in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. ...

), uniting the

flying squirrel Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight in the same way as birds or bats, but they a ...

s with certain related tree squirrels. Older sources place the flying squirrels in a separate subfamily (Pteromyinae) and unite all remaining sciurids into the subfamily Sciurinae, but this has been strongly refuted by

genetic studies Genetic analysis is the overall process of studying and researching in fields of science that involve genetics and molecular biology. There are a number of applications that are developed from this research, and these are also considered parts of ...

Classification

Subfamily SciurinaeThorington, R. W. and R. S. Hoffmann. 2005. Family Sciuridae. pp 754–818 in Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. walker's mammals of the world 5th edition Volume 1 *Tribe

Sciurini Sciurini is a tribe that includes about forty species of squirrels,Thorington and Hoffmann, 2005, p. 754 mostly from the Americas. It includes five living genera—the American dwarf squirrels, '' Microsciurus''; the Bornean ''Rheithrosciuru ...

**Genus '' Microsciurus'' – American dwarf squirrels *** Central American dwarf squirrel, ''M. alfari'' *** Amazon dwarf squirrel, ''M. flaviventer'' *** Western dwarf squirrel, ''M. mimulus'' *** Santander dwarf squirrel, ''M. santanderensis'' **Genus '' Rheithrosciurus'' ***

Tufted ground squirrel The tufted ground squirrel or groove-toothed squirrel (''Rheithrosciurus macrotis'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is the sole species in the genus ''Rheithrosciurus''. It is found only on the island of Borneo. Confirmed ele ...

, ''R. macrotis'' **Genus ''

Sciurus The genus ''Sciurus'' contains most of the common, bushy-tailed squirrels in North America, Europe, temperate Asia, Central America and South America. Species The number of species in the genus is subject to change. In 2005, Thorington & Hoff ...

'' ***Subgenus ''Sciurus'' ****

Allen's squirrel Allen's squirrel (''Sciurus alleni'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' endemic to northern Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bord ...

, ''S. alleni'' ****

Arizona gray squirrel The Arizona gray squirrel (''Sciurus arizonensis'') is a tree squirrel, in the genus '' Sciurus'', endemic to the canyons and valleys surrounded by deciduous and mixed forests in eastern Arizona and northern Mexico. It is threatened by habitat ...

, ''S. arizonensis'' ****

Mexican gray squirrel The Mexican gray squirrel (or red-bellied squirrel) (''Sciurus aureogaster'') is a tree squirrel in the genus '' Sciurus'' native to Guatemala and eastern and southern Mexico. It has been introduced to the Florida Keys. The alternate name shou ...

, ''S. aureogaster'' ****

Eastern gray squirrel The eastern gray squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis''), also known, particularly outside of North America, as simply the grey squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus '' Sciurus''. It is native to eastern North America, where it is the most pro ...

, ''S. carolinensis'' ****

Collie's squirrel Collie's squirrel (''Sciurus colliaei'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined ...

, ''S. colliaei'' **** Deppe's squirrel, ''S. deppei'' ****

Japanese squirrel The Japanese squirrel (''Sciurus lis'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' endemic to Japan. It was described by Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1844. The Japanese squirrel's range includes the islands of Honshū, Shikoku, an ...

, ''S. lis'' ****

Calabrian black squirrel The Calabrian black squirrel (''Sciurus meridionalis'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus '' Sciurus'', endemic to the forests of the regions of Calabria and Basilicata, in the south of the Italian Peninsula. Taxonomy It has long bee ...

, ''S. meridionalis'' ****

Mexican fox squirrel The Mexican fox squirrel (''Sciurus nayaritensis'') is a species of tree squirrel found throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico as far south as Jalisco — and northward into the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona, U.S.Bes ...

, ''S. nayaritensis'' ****

Fox squirrel The fox squirrel (''Sciurus niger''), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel, is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. Despite the differences in size and coloration, it is sometimes mistaken for ...

, ''S. niger'' **** Peters's squirrel, ''S. oculatus'' ****

Variegated squirrel The variegated squirrel (''Sciurus variegatoides'') is a tree squirrel in the genus '' Sciurus'' found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Fifteen subspecies are recognised. It is a common ...

, ''S. variegatoides'' ****

Eurasian red squirrel The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers ...

, ''S. vulgaris'' ****

Yucatan squirrel The Yucatan squirrel (, ''Sciurus yucatanensis''), originally named the Yucatan gray squirrel, also once named the Campeche squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus '' Sciurus'' found in the Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent areas. It is native ...

, ''S. yucatanensis'' ***Subgenus '' Otosciurus'' ****

Abert's squirrel Abert's squirrel or the tassel-eared squirrel (''Sciurus aberti'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' native to the southern Rocky Mountains from the United States to the northern Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico, with concentrations fo ...

, ''S. aberti'' ***Subgenus ''Guerlinguetus'' ****

Brazilian squirrel The Brazilian squirrel (or Guianan squirrel) (''Sciurus aestuans'') is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' endemic to South America. It is found in South-eastern Colombia, Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname and Venezuela Venez ...

or Guianan squirrel, ''S. aestuans'' **** Yellow-throated squirrel, ''S. gilvigularis'' ****

Red-tailed squirrel The red-tailed squirrel (''Sciurus granatensis'') is a species of tree squirrel distributed from southern Central America to northern South America. Distribution It is found in Central and South America (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panam ...

, ''S. granatensis'' **** Bolivian squirrel, ''S. ignitus'' ****

Andean squirrel The Andean squirrel (''Sciurus pucheranii'') is a tree squirrel endemic to Colombia where it inhabits montane rain forest and cloud forests of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central ranges of the Colombian Andes, at elevations between ...

, ''S. pucheranii'' ****

Richmond's squirrel Richmond's squirrel (''Sciurus richmondi'') is a poorly known tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' endemic to Nicaragua, which is likely a synonym of the red-tailed squirrel (''Sciurus granatensis''). It is locally known as the ardilla del rama ...

, ''S. richmondi'' ****

Sanborn's squirrel Sanborn's squirrel (''Sciurus sanborni'') is or was a little known tree squirrel described in 1944 from the skin and skeleton of a single female specimen collected in Peru in 1941. Subsequently, over the proceeding years only a handful of either s ...

, ''S. sanborni'' ****

Guayaquil squirrel The Guayaquil squirrel (''Sciurus stramineus'') is a tree squirrel endemic to Ecuador and Peru. It is a robust squirrel with a head-and-body length of and a similar length tail. The colour is variable; in Peru, a pale morph is more common, while ...

, ''S. stramineus'' ***Subgenus ''

Tenes In Greek mythology, Tenes or Tennes (Ancient Greek: Τέννης) was the eponymous hero of the island of Tenedos. Family Tenes was the son either of Apollo or of King Cycnus of Colonae by Proclia, daughter or granddaughter of Laomedon. M ...

'' ****

Persian squirrel The Caucasian squirrel (''Sciurus anomalus'') or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia. The species is usually said to have first been described in 1778 ...

, ''S. anomalus'' ***Subgenus ''Hadrosciurus'' ****

Fiery squirrel The fiery squirrel (''Sciurus flammifer'') is a rodent in the family Sciuridae. The taxon is endemic to the area south of the Orinoco River in the state of Bolívar, Venezuela. Taxonomy In 2015 de Vivo & Carmignotto reduced this taxon to a subs ...

, ''S. flammifer'' **** Junín red squirrel, ''S. pyrrhinus'' ***Subgenus ''

Hesperosciurus The western gray squirrel (''Sciurus griseus'') is a tree squirrel found along the western coast of the United States and Mexico. In some places, this species has also been known as the silver-gray squirrel, the California gray squirrel, the Or ...

'' ****

Western gray squirrel The western gray squirrel (''Sciurus griseus'') is a tree squirrel found along the western coast of the United States and Mexico. In some places, this species has also been known as the silver-gray squirrel, the California gray squirrel, the Or ...

, ''S. griseus'' ***Subgenus ''Urosciurus'' **** Northern Amazon red squirrel, ''S. igniventris'' **** Southern Amazon red squirrel, ''S. spadiceus'' **Genus ''

Syntheosciurus Bangs's mountain squirrel (''Syntheosciurus brochus'') is a poorly known species of tree squirrel, that only lives in Costa Rica and Panama. It can be found in mountain rain forests at an altitude between , and lives mainly in the tree tops, but ...

'' ***

Bangs's mountain squirrel Bangs's mountain squirrel (''Syntheosciurus brochus'') is a poorly known species of tree squirrel, that only lives in Costa Rica and Panama. It can be found in mountain rain forests at an altitude between , and lives mainly in the tree tops, but ...

, ''S. brochus'' **Genus ''

Tamiasciurus Pine squirrels are squirrels of the genus ''Tamiasciurus'', in the Sciurini tribe, of the large family Sciuridae. Species This genus includes three species: *''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'' — American red squirrel *''Tamiasciurus douglasi ...

'' - pine squirrels ***

Douglas squirrel The Douglas squirrel (''Tamiasciurus douglasii'') is a pine squirrel found in the Pacific Northwest of North America, including the northwestern coastal states of the United States as well as the southwestern coast of British Columbia in Canada ...

, ''T. douglasii'' ***

Southwestern red squirrel The southwestern red squirrel or Fremont's squirrel (''Tamiasciurus fremonti'') is a species of tree squirrel endemic to high-altitude regions of the southwestern United States. Taxonomy It was formerly considered conspecific with the Americ ...

''T. fremonti'' ***

American red squirrel The American red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'') is one of three species of tree squirrels currently classified in the genus ''Tamiasciurus'', known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel, ''T. douglasii'', and the s ...

, ''T. hudsonicus'' ***

Mearns's squirrel Mearns's squirrel (''Tamiasciurus douglasii mearnsi'') is a subspecies of the Douglas squirrel endemic to Mexico. It is endangered and occurs in low densities, and is threatened by habitat loss.Koprowski, Ramos, Pasch & Zugmeyer (2006)Observ ...

, ''T. mearnsi'' *Tribe Pteromyini – flying squirrels'' **Subtribe Glaucomyina ***Genus '' Eoglaucomys'' **** Kashmir flying squirrel, ''E. fimbriatus'' ***Genus '' Glaucomys'' – New World flying squirrels ****

Southern flying squirrel The southern flying squirrel or the assapan (''Glaucomys volans'') is one of three species of the genus '' Glaucomys'' and one of three flying squirrel species found in North America. It is found in deciduous and mixed woods in the eastern half ...

, ''G. volans'' ****

Northern flying squirrel The northern flying squirrel (''Glaucomys sabrinus'') is one of three species of the genus '' Glaucomys'', the only flying squirrels found in North America.Walker EP, Paradiso JL. 1975. ''Mammals of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Universi ...

, ''G. sabrinus'' ****

Humboldt's flying squirrel Humboldt's flying squirrel (''Glaucomys oregonensis'') is one of three species of the genus '' Glaucomys'', the only flying squirrels found in North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely ...

, ''G. oregonensis'' ***Genus ''

Hylopetes ''Hylopetes'' is a genus of flying squirrels. There are about 10 species. Species include: *Particolored flying squirrel - ''H. alboniger'' (Hodgson, 1836) *Bartel's flying squirrel - ''H. bartelsi'' Chasen, 1939 *Hainan flying squirrel - ''H. e ...

'' **** Particolored flying squirrel, ''H. alboniger'' ****

Afghan flying squirrel The Afghan flying squirrel (''Eoglaucomys fimbriatus baberi'') is a subspecies of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Afghanistan. Biology The Afghan flying squirrel is not considered to be threatened to become an endangered specie ...

, ''H. baberi'' ****

Bartel's flying squirrel The Bartel's flying squirrel (''Hylopetes bartelsi'') is a rodent species in the family Sciuridae endemic to West Java, Indonesia. It inhabits subtropical and tropical forest. Name The Bartel's flying squirrel was named after Dutch natur ...

, ''H. bartelsi'' **** Gray-cheeked flying squirrel, ''H. lepidus'' ****

Palawan flying squirrel The Palawan flying squirrel or ''tapilak'' (''Hylopetes nigripes'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. Its population is decreasing as ti ...

, ''H. nigripes'' ****

Indochinese flying squirrel The Indochinese flying squirrel (''Hylopetes phayrei''), also known as Phayre's flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in China, Laos, Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. ...

, ''H. phayrei'' **** Jentink's flying squirrel, ''H. platyurus'' **** Sipora flying squirrel, ''H. sipora'' **** Red-cheeked flying squirrel, ''H. spadiceus'' **** Sumatran flying squirrel, ''H. winstoni'' ***Genus '' Iomys'' **** Javanese flying squirrel, ''I. horsfieldi'' **** Mentawi flying squirrel, ''I. sipora'' ***Genus '' Petaurillus'' – pygmy flying squirrels **** Lesser pygmy flying squirrel, ''P. emiliae'' ****

Hose's pygmy flying squirrel The Hose's pygmy flying squirrel (''Petaurillus hosei'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It was named for zoologist Charles Hose. It is endemic to Malaysia. References Endemic fauna of Malaysia Rodents of Malaysia Pe ...

, ''P. hosei'' ****

Selangor pygmy flying squirrel The Selangor pygmy flying squirrel (''Petaurillus kinlochii'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Malaysia where it has only been found in the State of Selangor Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, ...

, ''P. kinlochii'' ***Genus ''

Petinomys ''Petinomys'' is a genus of flying squirrels. They are known commonly as the dwarf flying squirrels.Basilan flying squirrel The Basilan flying squirrel (Philippines flying squirrel or Mindanao flying squirrel) (''Petinomys crinitus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), ...

, ''P. crinitus'' ****

Travancore flying squirrel Travancore flying squirrel (''Petinomys fuscocapillus''), also known as the small flying squirrel, is a flying squirrel found in South India and Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=I ...

, ''P. fuscocapillus'' ****

Whiskered flying squirrel The whiskered flying squirrel (''Petinomys genibarbis'') is a species of flying squirrel Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their nam ...

, ''P. genibarbis'' ****

Hagen's flying squirrel Hagen's flying squirrel (''Petinomys hageni'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...

, ''P. hageni'' ****

Siberut flying squirrel The Siberut flying squirrel (''Petinomys lugens'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction ...

, ''P. lugens'' ****

Mindanao flying squirrel The Mindanao flying squirrel (''Petinomys mindanensis'') is a common species of squirrel that is endemic to the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pil ...

, ''P. mindanensis'' ****

Arrow flying squirrel The arrow flying squirrel (''Hylopetes sagitta'') is a species of flying squirrel. It is endemic to Java and Bangka, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indi ...

, ''P. sagitta'' ****

Temminck's flying squirrel Temminck's flying squirrel (''Petinomys setosus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions ...

, ''P. setosus'' ****

Vordermann's flying squirrel Vorderman's flying squirrel (''Petinomys vordermanni'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. It was described in 1890 by the Dutch zoologist Fredericus Anna Jentink Fredericus Anna Jent ...

, ''P. vordermanni'' **Subtribe Pteromyina ***Genus ''

Aeretes ''Aeretes'' is a genus of squirrels that contains a single extant species, the groove-toothed flying squirrel ''(Aeretes melanopterus)''. Two fossil species are also known from Late Pliocene of China China, officially the People's Rep ...

'' ****

Groove-toothed flying squirrel The groove-toothed flying squirrel or North Chinese flying squirrel (''Aeretes melanopterus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Aeretes''. It is endemic to China China, officially the ...

, ''A. melanopterus'' ***Genus '' Aeromys'' – large black flying squirrels **** Black flying squirrel, ''A. tephromelas'' **** Thomas's flying squirrel, ''A. thomasi'' ***Genus ''

Belomys ''Belomys'' is a genus of squirrels that contains a single extant species, the hairy-footed flying squirrel ''(Belomys pearsonii)''. Fossil species include the Pleistocene ''Belomys thamkaewi'' and the Late Pliocene '' Belomys parapearsoni'', b ...

'' **** Hairy-footed flying squirrel, ''B. pearsonii'' ***Genus '' Biswamoyopterus'' **** Namdapha flying squirrel, ''B. biswasi'' **** Laotian giant flying squirrel, ''B. laoensis'' **** Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel, ''B. gaoligongensis'' ***Genus '' Eupetaurus'' **** Western woolly flying squirrel, ''Eupetaurus cinereus'' **** Yunnan woolly flying squirrel, ''Eupetaurus nivamons'' **** Tibetan woolly flying squirrel, ''Eupetaurus tibetensis'' ***Genus '' Petaurista'' **** Red and white giant flying squirrel, ''P. alborufus'' ****

Spotted giant flying squirrel The spotted giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista elegans''), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of in Southeast Asia north to centr ...

, ''P. elegans'' ****

Hodgson's giant flying squirrel Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista magnificus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This large flying squirrel lives in Himalayan forests in Asia. Like other flying squirrels, it is nocturnal and able to glide (not actu ...

, ''P. magnificus'' ****

Bhutan giant flying squirrel The Bhutan giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista nobilis''), also known as the Gray's giant flying squirrel or noble giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This species lives in Himalayan forests and it is one of ...

, ''P. nobilis'' ****

Indian giant flying squirrel The Indian giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista philippensis''), also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane ...

, ''P. philippensis'' ****

Chinese giant flying squirrel The Chinese giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista xanthotis'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's ...

, ''P. xanthotis'' ****

Japanese giant flying squirrel The is a species of flying squirrel, one of the giant flying squirrels in the genus '' Petaurista''. Description Like other flying squirrels, it has a web of skin between its legs which it uses to glide between trees. Glides of 160 metres hav ...

, ''P. leucogenys'' ****

Red giant flying squirrel The red giant flying squirrel or common giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista petaurista'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae (squirrels). It is found in a wide variety of forest–types, plantations and more open habitats with scatt ...

, ''P. petaurista'' ***Genus '' Pteromys'' – Old World flying squirrel ****

Siberian flying squirrel The Siberian flying squirrel (''Pteromys volans'') is an Old World flying squirrel ranging from the Baltic Sea in the west, throughout Northern Asia to the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is the only species of flying squirrel in Eu ...

, ''P. volans'' **** Japanese dwarf flying squirrel, ''P. momonga'' ***Genus ''Pteromyscus'' **** Smoky flying squirrel, ''P. pulverulentus'' ***Genus '' Trogopterus'' ****

Complex-toothed flying squirrel The complex-toothed flying squirrel (''Trogopterus xanthipes'') occurs in the southern Chinese provinces Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan. The common name refers to the teeth, which differ from those of other species of flying squirrels ...

, ''T. xanthipes''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q53106 Sciurinae Mammal subfamilies Extant Eocene first appearances Taxa named by Wilhelm Hemprich