Squirrel
A Golden-mantled ground squirrel ( Spermophilus lateralis)
The Squirrel ( Sciuridae ) are a family from the order of rodents ( Rodentia ). Among other things, include the squirrel, chipmunk and the European ground squirrel to this family.
Overall, the croissants are today divided into 51 genera with about 270 to 280 species, wherein the classification is still in flux. Croissants are spread all over the world except in Australia, New Guinea, Madagascar and Antarctica.
Croissants are characterized by a fully hairy, often bushy tail, the number of five toes on the hind - and four toes on the front feet and big eyes. Most, but not all species are diurnal. Food are mostly nuts and seeds, although some species feed on insects. In the trees living squirrels are very agile animals that can make long jumps and rarely also hurt when falling. They build their nests in tree cavities or crotches. In contrast, the ground squirrels in the corridors, they create live underground. You always remain in the vicinity of these caves and flee at the approach of an enemy inside.
System
A subdivision of croissants in ground squirrels and tree squirrels does not correspond to the actual family relationships, nor the traditional system, the squirrels in flying squirrel ( with Gleitmembran ) and ground and tree squirrels informed (without Gleitmembran ). The following system up to the genus level is by Michael Carleton and G. Musser ( 2005), which have redefined the classification based on morphological and molecular genetic studies:
- Subfamily giant squirrel ( Ratufinae ) Giant squirrel ( Ratufa )
- Neuweltliches small squirrel ( Sciurillus )
- Tribus tree squirrels ( Sciurini ) New World dwarf squirrel ( Microsciurus )
- Bornean squirrel ( Rheithrosciurus )
- Squirrels (Sciurus )
- Central American mountain squirrel ( Syntheosciurus )
- American Red Squirrel ( Tamiasciurus )
- Furrows tooth flying squirrel ( Aeretes )
- Black Flying Squirrel ( Aeromys )
- Haarfuß flying squirrel ( Belomys )
- Namdapha flying squirrel ( Biswamoyopterus )
- Kashmir Flying Squirrel ( Eoglaucomys )
- Felsgleithörnchen ( Eupetaurus )
- New World flying squirrels ( Glaucomys )
- Horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes )
- Horsfield flying squirrel ( Iomys )
- Kleinstgleithörnchen ( Petaurillus )
- Riesengleithörnchen ( Petaurista )
- Zwerggleithörnchen ( Petinomys )
- Real flying squirrels ( Pteromys )
- Smoke Grey Flying Squirrel ( Pteromyscus )
- Complex tooth flying squirrel ( Trogopterus )
- Real nice squirrel ( Callosciurus )
- Sunda tree squirrels ( Sundasciurus )
- Rotwangenhörnchen ( Dremomys )
- Asian dwarf squirrel ( Exilisciurus )
- Striped Palm Squirrel ( Funambulus )
- Borneo dwarf squirrel ( Glyphotes )
- Piglets squirrels ( Hyosciurus )
- Black chipmunk ( Lariscus )
- Berdmore palm squirrel ( Menetes )
- Brown dwarf squirrel ( Nannosciurus )
- Sulawesi Dwarf Squirrel ( Prosciurillus )
- Long nose squirrel ( Rhinosciurus )
- Sulawesi giant squirrel ( Rubrisciurus )
- Tree chipmunk ( Tamiops )
- Tribus Borstenhörnchen ( Xerini ) Atlashörnchen ( Atlantoxerus )
- African Ground Squirrel ( Xerus )
- Ground squirrels ( Spermophilopsis )
- African palm squirrel ( Epixerus )
- Rotschenkelhörnchen ( Funisciurus )
- Sun squirrel ( Heliosciurus )
- African pygmy squirrel ( Myosciurus )
- African Bush Squirrel ( Paraxerus )
- Oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus )
- Antilopenziesel ( Ammospermophilus )
- ( Callospermophilus )
- Prairie Dogs (Cynomys )
- ( Ictidomys )
- Marmots (Marmota )
- ( Notocitellus )
- ( Otospermophilus )
- ( Poliocitellus )
- Chinese red squirrels ( Sciurotamias )
- Ground squirrel ( Spermophilus )
- Chipmunk ( Tamias )
- ( Urocitellus )
- ( Xerospermophilus )
Etymology
The German name is derived from the squirrel squirrels. This is based on the Indo-European root aig ( " move violently " ) basis. In the Old and Middle High German as the squirrel was Eichorn ( " orn " as a word ending without the second " h" for " horn " ) refers, in Low German as ekerken.
Over time, the old meaning was lost and you leaned to the first part of the well-known word oak, the second to horn, with which it had originally but nothing to do. In the 19th century which is now held for self- designation croissant was applied to the entire rodent family.
From the spread in the ancient world view that squirrel with its huge tail itself could give shade, comes her Greek ( in the scientific genus name entered into ) Name σκιοῦρος skiuros ( "shadow tail" ).