The karyotype of anatolian ground squirrel spermophilus xanthoprymnus (Bennett, 1835) (Rodentia: Sciuridae) from two localities in Anatolia, Turkey

The standard karyotype and C-banding characteristics of six specimens of Anatolian Ground Squirrel Spermophilus xanthoprymnus (Bennett, 1835) collected in Gümüşhane Province and Bitlis Province, Turkey. The karyotype of the individuals from both localities contained 42 chromosomes and all the chromosomes were bi-armed. The arm number of autosomal chromosomes (NFa) was 80 and the fundamental number of chromosomal arms (FN) was 84. The X chromosome was medium-sized and submetacentric. The Y chromosome of Bitlis specimens was smallest and bi-armed, and the Y chromosome of Gümüşhane specimens was medium-sized and subtelocentric. All the autosomes and X chromosome of specimens from both localities possessed distinct centromeric or pericentromeric C-positive bands. An interstitial dark C-band was apparent also on the long arm of the submetacentric autosomal pair 4. However, submetacentric autosomal pair 4 was heteromorphic in the Bitlis specimens due to intrachromosomal translocation. The Y chromosome of Gümüşhane specimens had centromeric C-band and the Y chromosome of Bitlis squirels was entirely euchromatic.