Spermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the squirrel family.[1] 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).[2]
Relationships among the Marmotini according to cytochrome b data (Helgen et al., 2009: fig. 2): Genera that were formerly included in Spermophilus are in bold.
Some species are sometimes called susliks (or sousliks). This name comes from Russian суслик, suslik.[3] 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).[4]
As typical ground squirrels, Spermophilus live in open habitats like grasslands, meadows, steppe and semideserts, feed on the low plants, and use burrows as nests and refuge.[5] They are diurnal and mostly live in colonies, although some species also can occur singly.[6] They are found in both lowlands to highlands, hibernate during the colder months (up to c. 81⁄2 months each year in some species) and in arid regions they may also aestivate during the summer or fall.[5] The distributions of the various species are mostly separated, often by large rivers, although there are regions inhabited by as many as three species and rarely two species may even form mixed colonies.[5] A few species are known to hybridize where their ranges come into contact.[5]
Appearanceedit
Spermophilus are overall yellowish, light orangish, light brownish or greyish. Although many are inconspicuously mottled or spotted, or have orange markings on the head, overall they lack strong patterns, except in S. suslicus, which commonly has brown upperparts with clear white spotting.[5] Size varies with species and they have a head-and-body length of c. 17–40 cm (6.7–15.7 in). Before hibernation the largest S. fulvus may weigh up to 2 kg (4.4 lb) and the largest S. major up to almost 1.4 kg (3.1 lb), but they always weigh much less earlier in the year and other species are considerably smaller, mostly less than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) even in peak condition before hibernation.[5] All have a fairly short tail that—depending on exact species—is around 10–45% of the length of the head-and-body.[5]
Relationship with humansedit
Ground squirrels may carry fleas that transmit diseases to humans (see Black Death), and have been destructive in tunneling underneath human habitation.[7]
A generic revision was undertaken in 2007 by means of phylogenetic analyses using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b. This resulted in the splitting of Spermophilus into eight genera, which with the prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels are each given as numbered clades. The exact relations between the clades are slightly unclear. Among these, the exclusively Palearctic species are retained as the genus Spermophilus sensu stricto (in the strictest sense).[8]
Discovery and examination of one of the best preserved Eurasian ground squirrel fossils yet recovered allowed the study of many previously unknown aspects of ground squirrel cranial anatomy, and prompted a critical reassessment of their phylogenetic position.[9] As a result, three Pleistocene species previously considered members of the Urocitellus genus were moved to Spermophilus:
Spermophilus citelloides is known from the Middle Pleistocene to early Holocene of Europe. It appears to be most closely related to the living S. suslicus.[10]
Referencesedit
^Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^Helgen Kristofer M; et al. (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.
^Palmer, T.S. (1904). "Index Generum Mammalium: a List of the Genera and Families of Mammals". North American Fauna. 23: 639. doi:10.3996/nafa.23.0001. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
^ abcdefgKryštufek, B.; B. Vohralík (2012). "Taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic rodents (Rodentia). Part 1 (Eutamias and Spermophilus)". Lynx, N. S. (Praha). 43: 17–111.
^Smith, A.T.; Y. Xie, eds. (2008). A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press. pp. 193–196. ISBN978-0-691-09984-2.
^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.
^Maxim V. Sinitsa; Natalia V. Pogodina; Lyudmila Y. Кryuchkova (2019). "The skull of Spermophilus nogaici (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Xerinae) and the affinities of the earliest Old World ground squirrels". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 186 (3): 826–864. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zly092.
^Sinitsa, Maxim V.; Virág, Attila; Pazonyi, Piroska; Knitlová, Markéta (29 October 2019). "Redescription and phylogenetic relationships of Spermophilus citelloides (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Xerinae), a ground squirrel from the Middle Pleistocene – Holocene of Central Europe". Historical Biology. 33: 19–39. doi:10.1080/08912963.2019.1677640. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 208578857.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spermophilus.
Wikispecies has information related to Spermophilus.
January 01, 1970
spermophilus, genus, ground, squirrels, squirrel, family, traditionally, defined, genus, very, species, rich, ranging, through, europe, asia, north, america, this, arrangement, found, paraphyletic, certainly, distinct, prairie, dogs, marmots, antelope, squirre. Spermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the squirrel family 1 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 2 SpermophilusTemporal range Middle Miocene Recent Spermophilus in Turkey Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order Rodentia Family Sciuridae Tribe Marmotini Genus SpermophilusF Cuvier 1825 Type species Mus citellus Species See text Ammospermophilus Notocitellus Urocitellus Marmota Spermophilus sensu stricto Otospermophilus Callospermophilus Ictidomys Poliocitellus Cynomys Xerospermophilus Relationships among the Marmotini according to cytochrome b data Helgen et al 2009 fig 2 Genera that were formerly included in Spermophilus are in bold Some species are sometimes called susliks or sousliks This name comes from Russian suslik suslik 3 In some languages a derivative of the name is in common usage for example susel in Polish The scientific name of this genus means seed lovers gr sperma sperma genitive spermatos spermatos seed filos philos friend lover 4 Contents 1 Habitat and behavior 2 Appearance 3 Relationship with humans 4 Species 4 1 Prehistoric species 5 References 6 External linksHabitat and behavior editAs typical ground squirrels Spermophilus live in open habitats like grasslands meadows steppe and semideserts feed on the low plants and use burrows as nests and refuge 5 They are diurnal and mostly live in colonies although some species also can occur singly 6 They are found in both lowlands to highlands hibernate during the colder months up to c 81 2 months each year in some species and in arid regions they may also aestivate during the summer or fall 5 The distributions of the various species are mostly separated often by large rivers although there are regions inhabited by as many as three species and rarely two species may even form mixed colonies 5 A few species are known to hybridize where their ranges come into contact 5 Appearance editSpermophilus are overall yellowish light orangish light brownish or greyish Although many are inconspicuously mottled or spotted or have orange markings on the head overall they lack strong patterns except in S suslicus which commonly has brown upperparts with clear white spotting 5 Size varies with species and they have a head and body length of c 17 40 cm 6 7 15 7 in Before hibernation the largest S fulvus may weigh up to 2 kg 4 4 lb and the largest S major up to almost 1 4 kg 3 1 lb but they always weigh much less earlier in the year and other species are considerably smaller mostly less than 0 5 kg 1 1 lb even in peak condition before hibernation 5 All have a fairly short tail that depending on exact species is around 10 45 of the length of the head and body 5 Relationship with humans editGround squirrels may carry fleas that transmit diseases to humans see Black Death and have been destructive in tunneling underneath human habitation 7 Species edit nbsp Spermophilus suslicus a species that commonly has clearly white spotted upperparts A generic revision was undertaken in 2007 by means of phylogenetic analyses using the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b This resulted in the splitting of Spermophilus into eight genera which with the prairie dogs marmots and antelope squirrels are each given as numbered clades The exact relations between the clades are slightly unclear Among these the exclusively Palearctic species are retained as the genus Spermophilus sensu stricto in the strictest sense 8 Spermophilus sensu stricto Old World ground squirrels Alashan ground squirrel Spermophilus alashanicus Brandt s ground squirrel Spermophilus brevicauda European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus Daurian ground squirrel Spermophilus dauricus Red cheeked ground squirrel Spermophilus erythrogenys Yellow ground squirrel Spermophilus fulvus Russet ground squirrel Spermophilus major Caucasian Mountain ground squirrel Spermophilus musicus Tian Shan ground squirrel Spermophilus nilkaensis Pallid ground squirrel Spermophilus pallidicauda Little ground squirrel Spermophilus pygmaeus Relict ground squirrel Spermophilus relictus Speckled ground squirrel Spermophilus suslicus Taurus ground squirrel Spermophilus taurensis Asia Minor ground squirrel Spermophilus xanthoprymnus Prehistoric species edit Discovery and examination of one of the best preserved Eurasian ground squirrel fossils yet recovered allowed the study of many previously unknown aspects of ground squirrel cranial anatomy and prompted a critical reassessment of their phylogenetic position 9 As a result three Pleistocene species previously considered members of the Urocitellus genus were moved to Spermophilus Spermophilus nogaici Spermophilus polonicus Spermophilus primigenius Spermophilus citelloides is known from the Middle Pleistocene to early Holocene of Europe It appears to be most closely related to the living S suslicus 10 References edit Wilson D E Reeder D M eds 2005 Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN 978 0 8018 8221 0 OCLC 62265494 Helgen Kristofer M et al 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 The Free Dictionary Palmer T S 1904 Index Generum Mammalium a List of the Genera and Families of Mammals North American Fauna 23 639 doi 10 3996 nafa 23 0001 Retrieved 9 February 2018 a b c d e f g Krystufek B B Vohralik 2012 Taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic rodents Rodentia Part 1 Eutamias and Spermophilus Lynx N S Praha 43 17 111 Smith A T Y Xie eds 2008 A Guide to the Mammals of China Princeton University Press pp 193 196 ISBN 978 0 691 09984 2 Encyclopaedia Britannica Helgen Kristofer M Cole F Russel Helgen Lauren E amp 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 Maxim V Sinitsa Natalia V Pogodina Lyudmila Y Kryuchkova 2019 The skull of Spermophilus nogaici Rodentia Sciuridae Xerinae and the affinities of the earliest Old World ground squirrels Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 186 3 826 864 doi 10 1093 zoolinnean zly092 Sinitsa Maxim V Virag Attila Pazonyi Piroska Knitlova Marketa 29 October 2019 Redescription and phylogenetic relationships of Spermophilus citelloides Rodentia Sciuridae Xerinae a ground squirrel from the Middle Pleistocene Holocene of Central Europe Historical Biology 33 19 39 doi 10 1080 08912963 2019 1677640 ISSN 0891 2963 S2CID 208578857 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spermophilus nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Spermophilus Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Spermophilus amp oldid 1211582119, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
