Xerus (Geosciurus) inauris (Zimmermann 1780)

[Myoxus] inauris Zimmermann 1780, Geogr. Gesch. Mensch. Vierf. Thiere, 2: 344.

Type Locality: South Africa, Kaffirland, 100 mi. (160 km) N of Cape of Good Hope. "Bewohnt die Cafferen, über hundert Meilen nordwärts des Vorgebürges der guten Hofnung...".

Vernacular Names: South African Ground Squirrel.

Synonyms: Xerus (Geosciurus) africanus (Shaw 1801); Xerus (Geosciurus) capensis (Kerr 1792); Xerus (Geosciurus) dschinshicus (Gmelin 1788); Xerus (Geosciurus) ginginianus (Shaw 1801); Xerus (Geosciurus) levaillantii (Kuhl 1820); Xerus (Geosciurus) namaquensis (Lichtenstein 1793); Xerus (Geosciurus) setosus (Smuts 1832) .

Distribution: S Angola, Namibia, Botswana, W Zimbabwe, South Africa.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Subgenus Geosciurus . Distinction from X. princeps supported by minor chromosomal differences reported by Robinson et al. (1986).