Search

Background: The blind mole rats (Spalacinae) are fossorial rodents exhibiting exceptionally extensive variation in the karyotype. The taxonomy of this group is not definitively resolved, and the species discrimination is often not clear, even with the use of chromosomal analyses., Results: We have studied the karyotype of three populations of blind mole rats (Spalacinae) from Anatolia classified tentatively as Nannospalax xanthodon (Bolu and Içel provinces) and Nannospalax ehrenbergi (Gaziantep province). C-banding and AgNOR staining were used in the cytogenetic analysis. In all populations, the karyotype comprised 52 chromosomes including 8 to 10 bi-armed and 17 to 15 acrocentric autosomal pairs. The centromeric position varied in the sex chromosomes between the populations. The C-positive centromeric bands occurred in most of the bi-armed autosomes and the sex chromosomes and in some of the acrocentric autosomes. The nucleolar organizer regions were localized in three ( N. xanthodon ) or five ( N. ehrenbergi ) autosomalpairs., Conclusions: It is difficult to find particular chromosomal differences between the studied populations which could enable unequivocal species identification. This finding emphasizes the need of taxonomic revision of the species structure within the Nannospalax genus.

We present the karyotype characteristics of five cytotypes of mole rats (Nannospalax) with 56 chromosomes revealed by the C-banding and AgNOR staining analyses. We attempt to investigate if the specific distinction between the populations from Thrace (N. leucodon) and Anatolia (N. xanthodon) is reflected also in their karyotypic differentiation. The specimens from each of the five populations studied revealed a distinct karyotype which was different from those found in other populations. The fundamental number of autosomal arms varied from 68 to 72. The amount of C-heterochromatin was larger in the Thrace sample of N. leucodon compared to the Anatolian population of N. xanthodon. The active NOR sites were recorded on five autosomal pairs in N. leucodon, whereas only three or four pairs bearing NOR were observed in N. xanthodon. Differences between the studied populations were quantified in the analysis of the distribution pattern of the C-positive bands and the AgNOR sites in individual chromosomes which indicated a basal position of the Thrace sample of N. leucodon and its divergence from other studied populations. The karyotypes of the 56-chromosome populations of N. leucodon and N. xanthodon are thus distinctly different.

The chromosome banding pattern (C-banding, AgNOR staining) was studied in isolated populations of two species of rodents from Turkey, Glis glis and Myodes glareolus. A single nucleolar organizer region was localized in an autosomal pair in the complement of G. glis. Centromeric C-heterochromatin blocks and seven pairs of NOR-bearing autosomes were observed in the complement of M. glareolus. A metacentric Y chromosome was found in the M. glareolus males examined. The detailed structure of karyotypes and the banding patterns differ from some previously published results.

The aim of this study was to determine diameters of blood cells, differential counts of peripheral blood leukocytes, alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE), acid phosphatase (ACP-ase) activity of some leukocyte types, and enzymatic positivity percentages of peripheral blood lymphocytes in two hedgehogs species, Hemiechinus auritus, the long-eared hedgehog, and Erinaceus concolor, the southern white-breasted hedgehog. Air-dried peripheral blood smears were stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa stain. ANAE and ACP-ase were stained in glutaraldehyde-acetone-fixed smears. ANAE-positive lymphocytes displayed a dot-like positivity pattern characterized with 1-5 reddish brown cytoplasmic granules, whereas ACP-ase positive lymphocytes displayed a dot-like positivity pattern characterized with 1-3 pinkish cytoplasmic granules. Monocytes gave a diffuse and strong reaction while neutrophils displayed a weak positive reaction for ANAE and ACP-ase. No difference was observed in mean diameters of peripheral blood cells of these species. It was found that lymphocytes made up the majority (64.3% and 65.5%) of leukocytes, followed by neutrophils (23.9% and 23.3%), eosinophils (9.0% and 7.6%), monocytes (1.8% and 2.3%), and basophils (1.0% and 1.3%) in H. auritus and E. concolor, respectively. Mean ANAE positivity oflymphocytes was 36.6% and 51.3% and ACP-ase positivity was 32.1% and 37.5% for H. auritus and E. concolor, respectively. The ANAE positivity of lymphocytes in E. concolor was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of H. auritus.

Thekaryotype, C-banding, and nucleoar organizer regions (NORs) of eight specimens ofKonya wild sheepfrom Turkey were examined. The complement included six large metacentric autosomes, 46 acrocentric autosomes of decreasing size, a medium-sized acrocentric X chromosome, and a small bi-armed Y chromosome (the diploid chromosome number 2n=54, the number of autosomal arms NFa=58, the number of chromosome arms NF=61). G-banding allowed reliable identification of all the chromosome pairs and the pairing of homologous elements. All the autosomes possessed distinct centromeric or pericentromeric C-positive bands. The X chromosome had a pericentromeric C-positive band, and the Y chromosome was entirely C-heterochromatic. The NORs were located in the terminal regions of the long arms of three metacentric and two acrocentric autosomes. The karyotype of the Konya wild sheep and its banding patterns are quite similar to chromosome complement reported in domestic sheep and European mouflon.

The present study reports the C-band patterns of chromosomes of Myocastor coypus from Turkey. The karyotype of M. coypus is comprised of (2n) 42 chromosomes, the number of chromosomal arms (FN) was 83 and the number of autosomal arms (FNa) was 80. The X chromosome was a medium-sized metacentric and the Y chromosome was acrocentric and the smallest in the set. Two metacentric chromosomes have secondary constrictions. Most autosomes in this species were centromeric C-positive and some autosomes had telomeric C-bands. The X chromosome has centromeric heterochromatin, while the Y chromosome appeared to be entirely heterochromatic.

This study presents some data about ecological, biological and taxonomical characteristics of Hystrix indica (Kerr, 1792) from Turkey. For this purpose characteristics of burrow, skull, tooth and measurements of external and cranial characters of two female H. indica from Turkey were investigated. It was concluded that our specimens are between the Middle East and Indian sub-region specimens in terms of morphometrical. It was also determined that there were roots in stomach contents of specimens.

Fecal samples from 20 Caucasian tree squirrels, Sciurus anomalus (Gmelin, 1778) Güldenstaedt, 1785, were collected in Turkey during February and March, 2004, and all 20 were infected with a single species of coccidia, Eimeria serbica. Sporulated oocysts are ellipsoidal, 27.5 x 17.5 (21-34 x 15-20) with a length:width ratio (L/W) of 1.6 (1.4-1.8); they lack a micropyle and oocyst residuum, but 0-2 polar granules may be present. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal, 11.9 x 6.9 (10.5-14 x 6-7.5) with a L/W of 1.7 (1.5-2.1); a Stieda body and sporocyst residuum are present.