African giant squirrels (

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Protoxerus'') form a taxon of

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

s under the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Xerinae. They are only found in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The two subgenera of African giant squirrels each has a single species: *Subgenus ''Protoxerus'' -

forest giant squirrel The forest giant squirrel (''Protoxerus stangeri'') or Stanger's squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found in Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic ...

or Stanger's squirrel, ''P. stangeri'' *Subgenus ''Allosciurus'' - slender-tailed squirrel, ''P. aubinnii''

References

Rodents of Africa Taxa named by Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major {{Squirrel-stub