''Exilisciurus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...
in the family
Sciuridae
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...
from forests in Southeast Asia.
[Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. pp. 754–818 ''in'' Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.] These tiny squirrels are mostly
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
-brown to grey-brown, although ''E. whiteheadi'' has conspicuous ear-tufts. They are active, and feed on both plant-material and insects.
There are three species of ''Exilisciurus'':
[
* Philippine pygmy squirrel, ''Exilisciurus concinnus''
* Least (or plain) pygmy squirrel, ''Exilisciurus exilis''
* Tufted pygmy squirrel, ''Exilisciurus whiteheadi''
]
References
Rodent genera
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Squirrel-stub