Tree Squirrel - Classification

Classification

Guy G. Musser, one of the world's leading experts on rodents, and the Archbold Curator Emeritus of Mammalogy at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, clarifies the usage of "squirrel" and related terms: "The squirrel family includes ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and flying squirrels, but to most people squirrel refers to the 122 species of tree squirrels, which belong to 22 genera of the subfamily Sciurinae."

Current taxonomy, based on genetic data, splits the tree squirrels into several subfamilies. The following genera of the squirrel family are classified as tree squirrels.

• Subfamily Ratufinae
  • Genus Ratufa (Asian giant squirrels)
• Subfamily Sciurillinae
  • Genus Sciurillus (South American pygmy squirrel)
• Subfamily Sciurinae
  • Tribe Sciurini (mostly American tree squirrels)
    • Genus Microsciurus (American dwarf squirrels)
    • Genus Rheithrosciurus (Borneo tufted ground squirrel)
    • Genus Sciurus (American and Eurasian tree squirrels)
    • Genus Syntheosciurus (Central American mountain squirrel)
    • Genus Tamiasciurus (American red squirrels)
• Subfamily Callosciurinae (Asian tree squirrels)
  • Genus Callosciurus (Oriental tree squirrels, introduced into Europe and South America)
  • Genus Exilisciurus (Asian pygmy squirrels)
  • Genus Funambulus (Asian palm squirrels, introduced into Australia)
  • Genus Glyphotes (sculptor squirrel)
  • Genus Nannosciurus (Asian dwarf squirrel)
  • Genus Prosciurillus (Sulawesi dwarf squirrels)
  • Genus Rubrisciurus (Sulawesi giant squirrel)
  • Genus Sundasciurus (Sunda squirrels)
  • Genus Tamiops (Asian striped squirrels)
• Subfamily Xerinae
  • Tribe Protoxerini (African tree squirrels)
    • Genus Epixerus (African palm squirrels)
    • Genus Funisciurus (rope squirrels)
    • Genus Heliosciurus (sun squirrels)
    • Genus Myosciurus (African pygmy squirrel)
    • Genus Paraxerus (bush squirrels)
    • Genus Protoxerus (African giant squirrels)