Sciuromorpha

Goldmantelziesel ( Spermophilus lateralis)

• Stubby tail squirrel ( Aplodontiidae )
• Squirrel ( Sciuridae )
• Dormice ( Gliridae )

The squirrel family ( Sciuromorpha ) are a suborder of the order of rodents ( Rodentia ). In the past, a variety of groups were expected to this subordination.

The traditional classification was made according to the shape of the infraorbital canal. Carleton and Musser (2005) have redefined the suborders of rodents after morphologic and molecular genetic aspects and summarize three families in this suborder together:

• The stubby tail squirrel ( Aplodontiidae )
• The squirrel ( Sciuridae ) and
• The dormice ( Gliridae ).

In particular, the assignment of dormice in this group is surprising, since they were expected due to their similar appearance mice mostly in the subordination of the mice relative ( Myomorpha ).

In some classifications can be found sometimes the beaver and sometimes the pocket gophers and pocket mice in this submission, but these are of a new order, the beaver relatives ( Castorimorpha ) attributed. Older plants led even the thorn tail Squirrel, the comb fingers and jumping bunny as part of the squirrel family. In the system used here, these families are assigned to other branches of rodent systematics.

Often the squirrel relatives are placed at the base of rodents because of some original features.