anomalure

Anomalures Fossil range: Late Eocene - Recent
Zenkerella insignis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Anomaluromorpha Family: Anomaluridae Gervais in d'Orbigny, 1849
Genera
Anomalurus Anomalurops Idiurus Zenkerella

The Anomaluridae family is a family of rodents found in central Africa. They are known as anomalures or scaly-tailed flying squirrels. There are seven species, classified into four genera. Most are brightly coloured.

All but one species of anomalurids have membranes between their front and hind legs like those of a flying squirrel, but they are not thought to be closely related to the flying squirrels that form the tribe Petauristini of the family Sciuridae. They are distinguished by two rows of pointed, raised scales on the undersides of their tails. The anatomy of their heads is quite different from that of the sciurid flying squirrels.

Anomalurids represent one of several independent evolutions of gliding ability in mammals. The others include the true flying squirrels of Eurasia and North America, colugos or flying lemurs of Southeast Asia, and the gliding phalangers in Australia.

Taxonomy

• Family Anomaluridae
  • Subfamily Anomalurinae (large anomalures)
    • Genus Anomalurus
      • Lord Derby's Scaly-tailed flying squirrel, Anomalurus derbianus
      • Pel's Scaly-tailed flying squirrel, Anomalurus pelii
      • Lesser Scaly-tailed flying squirrelAnomalurus pusillus
    • Genus Anomalurops
      • Beecroft's Scaly-tailed flying squirrel, Anomalurops beecrofti
  • Subfamily Zenkerellinae (small anomalures)
    • Genus Idiurus
      • Long-eared Scaly-tailed flying squirrel, Idiurus macrotis
      • Zenker's Scaly-tailed flying squirrel, Idiurus zenkeri
    • Genus Zenkerella
      • Cameroon Scaly-tail, Zenkerella insignis

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