Class Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 - mammals
   Order Rodentia Bowdich, 1821 - rodents
     Suborder Sciurognathi (Tullberg, 1899) see Suborder Sciuromorpha Brandt, 1855
       Family Sciuridae Batsch, 1788 - squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, and prairie dogs
         Subfamily Sciurinae Batsch, 1788 - tree and ground squirrels
           Genus Xerus Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1832 - African ground squirrels
             Subgenus Geosciurus Smith, 1834