Anomalure

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iAnomalures
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
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 three 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.

[edit] Taxonomy

Family Anomaluridae
- Subfamily Anomalurinae (large anomalures)
  - Genus Anomalurus
    - Beecroft's Anomalure, Anomalurus beecrofti
    - Lord Derby's Anomalure, Anomalurus derbianus
    - Pel's Anomalure, Anomalurus pelii
    - Lesser AnomalureAnomalurus pusillus
- Subfamily Zenkerellinae (small anomalures)
  - Genus Idiurus (flying mice)
    - Long-eared Flying Mouse, Idiurus macrotis
    - Zenker's Flying Mouse, Idiurus zenkeri
  - Genus Zenkerella
    - Cameroon Scaly-tail, Zenkerella insignis

Rodent Families
Sciuromorpha: †Allomyidae \| Aplodontiidae \| †Mylagaulidae \| †Reithroparamyidae \| Sciuridae \| Gliridae
Castorimorpha: †Eutypomyidae \| Castoridae \| †Rhizospalacidae \| †Eomyidae \| †Heliscomyidae \| †Mojavemyidae \| Heteromyidae \| Geomyidae
Myomorpha: †Armintomidae \| Dipodidae \| Zapodidae \| †Anomalomyidae \| †Simimyidae \| Platacanthomyidae \| Spalacidae \| Calomyscidae \| Nesomyidae \| Cricetidae \| Muridae
Anomaluromorpha: Anomaluridae \| †Parapedetidae \| Pedetidae
Hystricomorpha: †Tamquammyidae \| Ctenodactylidae \| Diatomyidae \| †Yuomyidae \| †Chapattimyidae \| †Tsaganomyidae \| †"Baluchimyinae" \| †Bathyergoididae \| Bathyergidae \| Hystricidae \| †Myophiomyidae \| †Diamantomyidae \| †Phiomyidae \| †Kenyamyidae \| Petromuridae \| Thryonomyidae \| Erethizontidae \| Chinchillidae \| Dinomyidae \| Caviidae \| Dasyproctidae \| †Eocardiidae \| Cuniculidae \| Ctenomyidae \| Octodontidae \| †Neoepiblemidae \| Abrocomidae \| Echimyidae \| Myocastoridae \| Capromyidae \| †Heptaxodontidae
Prehistoric rodents (incertae sedis): †Eurymylidae \| †Cocomyidae \| †Alagomyidae \| †Ivanantoniidae \| †Laredomyidae \| †Ischyromyidae \| †Theridomyidae \| †Protoptychidae \| †Zegdoumyidae \| †Sciuravidae \| †Cylindrodontidae
† indicates extinct taxa