Sciuridae

Sciuridae is a family of small to medium sized rodents commonly known as squirrels, encompassing tree squirrels, ground squirrels such as chipmunks and prairie dogs, and flying squirrels. The family is native to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and squirrels have also been introduced by humans to Australia. The earliest known fossil squirrels date to the Eocene epoch, and among living rodent families squirrels are most closely related to the mountain beaver and the dormice.