xerus

American  

[zeer-uhs] / ˈzɪər əs /

noun

1. an African ground squirrel of the genus Xerus, having spiny fur, very short ears, and a long tail, and including the species X. rutilus of northeastern Africa and X. erythropus of western and central Africa.

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Usage

What is a Xerus? Xerus is a genus that includes four different species of African ground squirrels that have spiky fur, short ears, and long tails.In biology, a genus is a category of related organisms that often includes more than one species, which is a further division of related organisms. For example, dogs are a member of the genus Canis, which also includes species of wolves and coyotes.Ground squirrels, true to their name, spend most of their time on or under the ground. Xerus squirrels can be found throughout the African continent, and none of them are classified as endangered so they won’t be dying out anytime soon. In fact, they are often seen as pests because they can carry diseases such as rabies and frequently enjoy eating crops. At the same time, they are pretty cute, so Africans sometimes keep them as pets.

Etymology

Origin of xerus

< New Latin (1833), apparently < Greek xērós dry, perhaps in reference to its rough fur