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Spermophilus
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Kingdom
Animalia
Order
Rodentia
Tribe
Marmotini
Phylum
Chordata
Rank
Genus
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Family
Sciuridae
Scientific name
Spermophilus
Higher classification
Ground squirrel
Lower classifications
European ground squirrel, Arctic ground squirrel, Speckled ground squirrel, Yellow ground squirrel, Little ground squirrel
Spermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the family Sciuridae. The majority of ground squirrel species, over 40 in total, are usually placed in this genus. However, Spermophilus in the broad sense has been found to be paraphyletic to the certainly distinct prairie dogs, marmots, and antelope squirrels, so it has been split into several genera by Kristofer Helgen and colleagues.
Some Eurasian species are sometimes called susliks (or sousliks). This name comes from Russian 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".
Ground squirrels may carry fleas that transmit diseases to humans (see Black Death), and have been destructive in tunneling underneath human habitation. Though capable of climbing, most species of ground squirrel live in open, treeless habitats.
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, 11 exclusively Palearctic species are retained as the genus Spermophilus sensu stricto (in the strictest sense).
Clade 1, Notocitellus, the tropical ground squirrels
