Spermophilus F. Cuvier, 1825 . Dentes des Mammifères, p. 255.

TYPE SPECIES: Mus citellus Linnaeus, 1766 .

SYNONYMS: Anisonyx Rafinesque, 1817; Arctomys Schreber, 1780; Callospermophilus Merriam, 1897; Citellus Oken, 1816; Citillus Lichtenstein, 1830; Colobates MilneEdwards, 1874; Colobotis Brandt, 1844; Ictidomoides Mearns, 1907; Ictidomys J. Allen, 1877; Notocitellus A. Howell, 1938; Otocolobus Brandt, 1844; Otospermophilus Brandt, 1844; Poliocitellus A. Howell, 1938; Spermatophilus Wagler, 1830; Spermophila Richardson, 1825; Spermophilis Richardson, 1839; Urocitellus Obolenskij, 1927; Xerospermophilus Merriam, 1892 .

COMMENTS: Tribe Marmotini (Moore, 1959) . Citellus Oken, 1816 has been widely used, but is invalid (Corbet, 1978c:82; Hershkovitz, 1949b). Includes Callospermophilus, Ictidomys, Otospermophilus, Poliocitellus, Spermophilus, and Xerospermophilus as subgenera (Hall, 1981:382); Gromov et al. (1965) gave the first three taxa generic rank. North American species revised by Howell (1938). Eurasian species revised by Gromov et al. (1965) who also recognized Colobotis and Urocitellus as subgenera; but see Hall (1981:382), who included them in subgenus Spermophilus. Holarctic species reviewed by Nadler et al. (1982, 1984). A key to the genus was given by Rickart and Yensen (1991).