Paraxerus fossil map
Where fossils of Paraxerus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63 million years ago to the present (Tortonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Sciuridae |
| Named by | Forsyth Major 1893 |
| Fossil records | 22 occurrences at 11 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, DR Congo |
| Rock formations | txn:41486, Shungura, Vogel River Series, Adu-Asa |
About Paraxerus
The African bush squirrels are a genus of squirrels, Paraxerus, in the subfamily Xerinae. They are only found in Africa. The 11 species in this genus are:
Alexander's bush squirrel (P. alexandri)
Boehm's bush squirrel (P. boehmi)
Smith's bush squirrel (P. cepapi)
Cooper's mountain squirrel (P. cooperi)
Striped bush squirrel (P. flavovittis)
Black and red bush squirrel (P. lucifer)
Ochre bush squirrel (P. ochraceus)
Red bush squirrel (P. palliatus)
Green bush squirrel (P. poensis)
Swynnerton's bush squirrel (P. vexillarius)
Vincent's bush squirrel (P. vincenti)
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article African bush squirrel (revision 1265011065), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q385914.
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