Sciurus
Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis )
The squirrels (Sciurus ) comprise a genus of tree squirrels ( Sciurini ). There are small rodents with a bushy tail. The most common type in Central Europe is the real squirrels.
All squirrels are forest dwellers. The vast majority of species live here in the Americas. Only three of the 28 species live in the Old World; they are over Europe, Western, Northern and Eastern Asia spread.
Their diet consists of tree seeds, fruits, fungi and insects, but also birds' eggs and young birds. Predators of squirrels are primarily birds of prey and smaller predators such as marten. Animals individual squirrel species can be up to twelve years old.
To see naming etymology of the word " squirrel ".
The scientific name " Sciurus " consists of the ancient Greek " skia " (shadow ) and " oura " together ( tail).
System
We distinguish 28 species that can be distributed to seven subgenera:
- Subgenus Tenes Caucasian Squirrel ( S. anomalus ), the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Palestine
- Squirrel ( S. vulgaris ), Europe, North Asia
- Japanese squirrel ( S. lis ), Japan
- Gray squirrel ( S. carolinensis ), eastern North America, naturalized in Britain, Ireland and Italy
- Rotbauchhörnchen (p. aureogaster ), southern Mexico, Guatemala
- Collie squirrel ( S. colliaei ), west Mexico
- Yucatan squirrel ( S. yucatanensis ), Yucatán
- Stained squirrel ( S. variegatoides ), Central America
- Deppe's squirrel ( S. deppei ), northern Central America
- Fox Squirrel ( S. niger), central and eastern United States, north-east. Mexico
- Peters ' squirrel ( S. oculatus ), central Mexico
- Allen's squirrel ( S. alleni ), north-east. Mexico
- Mexican Fox Squirrel ( S. nayaritensis ), west Mexico
- Arizona Gray Squirrel ( S. arizonensis ), Arizona, New Mexico
- Western gray squirrel ( S. griseus ), west North America
- Abert squirrel ( S. aberti, with the subspecies S. a Kaibabhörnchen kaibabensis ), south-west. USA, NW. Mexico
- Rotschwanzhörnchen (p. granatensis ), Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Trinidad
- Richmond squirrel ( S. rich mondi ), Nicaragua
- Guyanese squirrel ( S. aestuans ), Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil
- Yellow -throated squirrel ( S. gilvigularis ), Venezuela, northern Brazil
- Bolivian squirrel ( S. ignitus ), W. South America
- Colombian squirrel ( S. pucheranii ), Colombian Andes
- Guayaquil squirrel ( S. stramineus ), Peru, Ecuador
- Sanborn squirrel ( S. sanborni ), Peru
- Venezuelan squirrel ( S. Flammifer ), Venezuela
- Junin squirrel ( S. pyrrhinus ), Peru
- Nordamazonisches American Red Squirrel ( S. igniventris ), northern South America
- Südamazonisches American Red Squirrel ( S. spadiceus ), central South America
The latter three subgenera were sometimes completely separated in its own genus Guerlinguetus.