Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus (Erxleben 1777)

[Sciurus] variegatus Erxleben 1777, Systema Regni Animalis, Vol. 1: 421.

Type Locality: "in Mexico." Restricted by Nelson (1898:898) to "Valley of Mexico, near City of Mexico," [Distrito Federal, Mexico].

Vernacular Names: Rock Squirrel.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. variegatus Erxleben 1777

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. buckleyi Slack 1861

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. couchii Baird 1855

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. grammurus Say 1823

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. robustus Durrant and Hansen 1954

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. rupestris J. A. Allen 1903

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. tularosae Benson 1932

Subspecies Spermophilus (Otospermophilus) variegatus subsp. utah Merriam 1903

Distribution: S Nevada to SW Texas and Utah (USA) to Puebla (C Mexico).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Subgenus Otospermophilus (Hall, 1981:399); belongs to variegatus group, which also includes beecheyi and atricapillus (Harrison et al., 2003) . Reviewed by Oaks et al. (1987, Mammalian Species No. 272).