''Notocitellus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

ground squirrel Ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents ( Sciuridae), which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known ...

s, containing two species from Mexico. These species are the

tropical ground squirrel The tropical ground squirrel (''Notocitellus adocetus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. At one time the species was originally described as ''Spermophilus adocetus'', but the genus ''Spermophilus'' was revised and subdivided in 2 ...

(''Notocitellus adocetus''), and the ring-tailed ground squirrel (''N. annulatus''). ''Notocitellus'' was formerly placed in the large ground squirrel genus ''

Spermophilus ''Spermophilus'' is a genus of ground squirrels in the squirrel family. As traditionally defined the genus was very species-rich, ranging through Europe, Asia and North America, but this arrangement was found to be paraphyletic to the certa ...

'', as a subgenus or species group. Since DNA sequencing of the cytochrome ''b'' gene has shown ''Spermophilus'' to be paraphyletic to the

marmot Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus ''Marmota'', with 15 species living in Asia, Europe, and North America. These herbivores are active during the summer, when they can often be found in groups, but are not seen during the winter, ...

antelope squirrel Antelope squirrels or antelope ground squirrels of the genus ''Ammospermophilus'' are sciurids found in the desert and dry scrub areas of south-western United States and northern Mexico. They are a type of ground squirrel and are able to resist ...

s, and prairie dogs, it is now separated, along with six other genera. The exact relations of this genus are unclear, though a relation to the antelope squirrels is possible.

References

Rodent genera Taxa named by Arthur H. Howell {{ground-squirrel-stub