Taxonomic revision of the Palaearctic rodents (Rodentia). Part 2. Sciuridae: Urocitellus, Marmota and Sciurotamias
Abstract
A revision of family group names for squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae) uncovered a neglected name Arctomyinae Gray, 1821 which predates Marmotinae Pocock, 1923. We propose a new subtribe Ammospermophilina, to encompass the Nearctic Ammospermophilus and Notocitellus and holds a basal position in a lineage of ground squirrels and marmots.
Furthermore, we reviewed the Palaearctic Arctomyinae from the genera Urocitellus, Marmota and Sciurotamias. On the basis of published data and our own examination of 926 museum specimens we recognize 12 species and 15 subspecies: Urocitellus undulatus (two subspecies: undulatus and eversmanni), U. parryii (the only Palaearctic subspecies is leucosticus), Marmota marmota (marmota and latirostris), M. bobak, M. baibacina, M. kastschenkoi, M. sibirica, M. himalayana, M. camtschatica (camtschatica, bungei, doppelmayeri), M. caudata (caudata, aurea, dichrous), M. menzbieri (menzbieri and zachidovi), and Sciurotamias davidianus (davidianus and consobrinus).
All species names (69 in total) are reviewed and linked to senior synonyms. We showed that Arctomys marmota tigrina Bechstein, 1801 is a junior synonym of M. bobak and not of M. marmota.
Descriptions are provided for valid taxa, together with photographs of skins or living animals, and drawings of skulls. Geographic ranges are mapped for all species and subspecies