Cape Ground Squirrel
Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris)
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Xerus
Subgenus:	Geosciurus
Species:	X. inauris
Binomial name
Xerus inauris (Zimmerman, 1780)

The Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris) is found in most of the drier parts of southern Africa from South Africa, through to Botswana, and into Namibia.

The name Cape Ground Squirrel is somewhat misleading as it actually has a much wider area of habitation. This common name may have been arrived at to distinguish it from a tree squirrel (the Eastern Grey Squirrel)found around Cape Town which was imported from Europe by Cecil John Rhodes.

It sometimes shares its burrows with mongooses and meerkats.

[edit] References

• Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. Pp. 754-818 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

v • d • e Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Xerinae) Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Order: Rodentia · Suborder: Sciuromorpha Xerini (Spiny squirrels) Atlantoxerus Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus) Xerus (African ground squirrels) Subgenus Euxerus: Striped Ground Squirrel (Xerus erythropus) Subgenus Geosciurus: Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris) · Mountain Ground Squirrel (Xerus princeps) Subgenus Xerus: Unstriped Ground Squirrel (Xerus rutilus) Spermophilopsis Long-clawed Ground Squirrel (Spermophilopsis leptodactylus) Protoxerini Epixerus Ebian's Palm Squirrel (Epixerus ebii) · Baifran Palm Squirrel (Epixerus wilsoni) Funisciurus (African striped squirrels) Thomas's Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) · Lunda Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus bayonii) · Carruther's Mountain Squirrel (Funisciurus carruthersi) · Funisciurus congicus · Lady Burton's Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus isabella) · Ribboned Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus lemniscatus) · Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus leucogenys) · Funisciurus pyrrhopus · Kintampo Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus substriatus) Heliosciurus (Sun squirrels) Gambian Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus gambianus) · Mutable Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus mutabilis) · Red-legged Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus rufobrachium) · Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus ruwenzorii) · Zanj Sun Squirrel (Heliosciurus undulatus) Myosciurus African Pygmy Squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio) Paraxerus (African bush squirrels) Smith's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi) · African Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus luciferus) · Alexander's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus alexandri) · Boehm's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus boehmi) · Cooper's Green Squirrel (Paraxerus cooperi) · Fernando Po Squirrel (Paraxerus poensis) · Huet's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus ochraceus) · Red Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus) · Striped Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus flavovittis) · Swynnerton's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus vexillarius) · Vincent's Bush Squirrel (Paraxerus vincenti) Protoxerus (African giant squirrels) Slender-tailed Squirrel (Protoxerus aubinnii) · Forest Giant Squirrel (Protoxerus stangeri) Marmotini (Ground squirrels) Large tribe listed separately Category