Spermophilus_pallidicauda
Pallid ground squirrel
Species of rodent
The pallid ground squirrel (Spermophilus pallidicauda) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Mongolia and the adjacent Nei Mongol autonomous region.[2]
A generic revision of the genus was undertaken in 2007 which helped resolve the uncertainty as to whether this species should be considered a subspecies of Spermophilus erythrogenys. A phylogeny based on molecular sequence data determined that S. pallidicauda was indeed a separate species from S. erythrogenys, and from the other similar species in the genus, S. brevicauda and S. alashanicus.[3]