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NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD

Caucasian Squirrel

Sciurus (Tenes) anomalus Gmelin, 1778

Source-backed taxonomic record

Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.

This file was uploaded with Commonist. Sciurus anomalus (Persian Squirrel) in a cage/display at Jeita Grotto, Lebanon.

This file was uploaded with Commonist. Sciurus anomalus (Persian Squirrel) in a cage/display at Jeita Grotto, Lebanon.

Peripitus · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image source

Provider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.

Open encyclopedia reference

The Caucasian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) or Persian squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.

The species is traditionally said to have first been described in 1778 by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in the 13th edition of Systema Naturae, and named Sciurus anomalus. However, this work was actually published in 1788, so the true first description was made by Johann Anton Güldenstädt in 1785. Gmelin made reference to this in the 1788 work, citing Güldenstädt as the author.

Wikipedia contributors, Caucasian squirrel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:52:51.844765+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name
Sciurus (Tenes) anomalus Gmelin, 1778
Name authority
Gmelin, 1778
Common name
Caucasian Squirrel
Rank
species
Accepted status
accepted
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Sciuridae
Genus
Sciurus
Extinction status
Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

  1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
  2. kingdomAnimalia
  3. phylumChordata
  4. subphylumVertebrata
  5. infraphylumGnathostomata
  6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
  7. megaclassTetrapoda
  8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
  9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
  10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
  11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
  12. suborderSciuromorpha Brandt, 1855
  13. familySciuridae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
  14. subfamilySciurinae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
  15. tribeSciurini Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
  16. genusSciurus Linnaeus, 1758
  17. subgenusTenes Thomas, 1909
  18. speciesSciurus (Tenes) anomalus Gmelin, 1778

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Sciurus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

SpeciesClassificationSource status
Allen's SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) alleni Nelson, 1898SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Eastern Gray SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) carolinensis Gmelin, 1788SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Yellow-throated SquirrelSciurus (Guerlinguetus) gilvigularis Wagner, 1842SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Bolivian SquirrelSciurus (Guerlinguetus) ignitus (Gray, 1867)SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Eastern Fox SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) niger Linnaeus, 1758SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Peters's SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) oculatus Peters, 1863SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Andean SquirrelSciurus (Guerlinguetus) pucheranii (Fitzinger, 1867)SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Sanborn's SquirrelSciurus (Guerlinguetus) sanborni Osgood, 1944SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Southern Amazon Red SquirrelSciurus (Urosciurus) spadiceus Olfers, 1818SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Yucatan SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) yucatanensis J. A. Allen, 1877SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Variegated SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) variegatoides Ogilby, 1839SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant
Eurasian Red SquirrelSciurus (Sciurus) vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758SciuridaeChordataAccepted speciesRecorded extant

Browse 219 records assigned to Sciuridae.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China)

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

  1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=632422 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:4VNCV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.