Karyotype Study Of Some Species Of Rodents From Localities Around Addis Ababa City And Huruta Town Ethiopia

In this study, live specimens of six rodent species were captured from localities around Addis Ababa by using Sherman live-trap. Somatic metaphase chromosomes were prepared by bone marrow method and the diploid number of chromosomes (2n) and the number of autosomal arms (FNa) were recorded and karyotypes constructed for these species. The karyological results were recorded as follows: Mastomys natalensis (2n = 32 and FNa = 54), Arvicanthis abyssinicus (2n = 62 and FNa = 64), Stenocephalemys albipes (2n = 46 and FNa = 50), Rattus rattus (2n = 38 and FNa = 58), Mus musculus (2n = 40 and FNa = 38) and one unidentified species (designated as ARSI-X) (2n = 32 and FNa =50). These karyological results were compared with previous reports on the same species from different localities of Ethiopia and abroad; and found that they were largely in agreement. The unidentified species, ARSI-X, morphologically looked liked Mastomys species but with distinctly different karyotype. It was suggested that this specimen, could probably be a sibling species or a new cryptic species in the genus Mastomys, but it requires further detail morphological and cytological studies in order to determine its proper taxonomic status. rnrnKey words: Chromosome; Ethiopia, karyotype; morphology; rodent.

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