Xerus

Translingual

Etymology

New Latin, coined by German physician and naturalist Philipp Jakob Cretzschmar (1833), apparently from Ancient Greek ξηρός (xērós, “dry”), perhaps in reference to its rough fur or the nature of the dry grasslands they live in.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Proper noun

Xerus m

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Sciuridae – unstriped ground squirrels.

Hyponyms

• (genus): Xerus rutilus (extant species)
  • †Xerus daamsi (extinct species)

Derived terms

• Epixerus
• Paraxerus
• Protoxerus

Further reading

• Xerus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Xerus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Category:Xerus on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons