The Xerinae are the most species-rich subfamily of squirrels, many of which are highly terrestrial. They include the tribes Marmotini, Xerini, and Protoxerini.

Xerini is a tribe of ground squirrels occurring in Africa and Asia. With the tribes Marmotini and Protoxerini, they form the subfamily Xerinae. There are five living genera—Xerus, the unstriped ground