Ammospermophilus Merriam, 1892 . Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 7:27.

TYPE SPECIES: Tamias leucurus Merriam, 1889 .

COMMENTS: Tribe Otospermophilini (Gromov et al., 1965) or Marmotini . Formerly included in Spermophilus (Hershkovitz, 1949b); Bryant (1945) considered Ammospermophilus a distinct genus. Recent biochemical and chromosomal data support Bryant's recognition of generic status.