STANDARDIZED KARYOTYPE AND IDIOGRAM OF THE INDOCHINESE GROUND SQUIRREL, MENETES BERDMOREI (BLYTH, 1849) BY CONVENTIONAL STAINING TECHNIQUE

Tanomtong, A., Jantarat, S., Supanuam, P. and Kaewsri, S. 2008. Standardized karyotype and

ideogram of the Indochinese ground squirrel, Menetes berdmorei (Blyth, 1849) by conventional staining technique. Thai Wildlife Journal 15(1): 80-88. [PDF] (TCI: Thai-Journal Citation Index Centre)

ABSTRACT

        Standardized karyotype and idiogram of the Indochinese ground squirrel (Menetes berdmorei (Blyth, 1849) at was studied at the Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Thailand. Blood samples were taken from two male and two female Indochinese ground squirrels. After lymphocyte culture, the mitotic chromosome preparation was accomplished by hypotonic-air-drying method and conventional Giemsa’s staining technique. The results showed that the number of diploid chromosome was 2n=38 and the fundamental number (NF) was 68 in both female and male. The autosomes consisted of 8 large metacentric, 14 large submetacentric, 2 medium metacentric, 4 small metacentric and 8 small telocentric chromosomes. The X chromosome was a medium metacentric chromosome and the Y chromosome was a small metacentric chromosome. The chromosome marker of the Indochinese ground squirrel is the chromosome pair 1 which is the largest metacentric chromosome. The karyotype formula for the Indochinese ground squirrel is as follows: 

                    2n (38) = Lm8+Lsm14+ Mm2+Sm4+St8 + sex chromosomes