The new highest number of B chromosomes (Bs) in Leisler's bat Nyctalusleisleri (Kuhl, 1817)

B chromosomes (Bs) are supernumerary to the standard chromosome set, from which they prevalently derive. Variation in numbers both among individuals or populations and among cells within individuals is their constant feature. Leisler's bat Nyctalusleisleri (Kuhl, 1817) is one of only four species of Chiroptera with detected Bs. Four males of N.leisleri were collected from two localities on the territory of Serbia and cytogenetically analysed. All animals had Bs with interindividual variability ranging from two to five heterochromatic micro Bs. The highest number of Bs was detected in this species. Among mammals, Rodentia and Chiroptera are orders with the largest number of species, but Bs frequently appear in rodents and rarely in chiropterans. Possible explanations for this difference are offered.

Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) collected from some small mammals (Mammalia: Rodentia, Eulipotyphla) in Turkey, with new records and new host associations

Fleas (Insecta: Siphonaptera) are among the most common ectoparasites of small mammals. We investigated fleas infesting on the small mammals (Mammalia: Rodentia, Eulipotyphla) from 15 different localities in Turkey. A total of 276 flea (133 males and 143 females) specimens belonging to 32 different flea taxa were collected from 90 (42 males, 16 females and 32 undetermined) small mammals belonging to 20 different species. With many new flea-host associations, the first occurrences of Ctenophthalmus agyrtes peusianus Rosicky, Ctenophthalmus golovi golovi Ioff & Tiflov, Ctenophthalmus secundus vicarius Jordan & Rothschild, Doratopsylla dasycnema cuspis Rothschild, Leptopsylla algira popovi (Wagner & Argyropulo) and Rhadinopsylla pentacantha (Rothschild) fleas were reported in Turkey. In addition, three flea species, Ctenophthalmus coniunctus Peus, Ctenophthalmus contiger Peus, and Palaeopsylla incisa Peus, are reported for only the second time since their original descriptions.

Karyotype Analysis of the New Talpa Species Talpa aquitania (Talpidae; Insectivora) from Northern Spain

Karyotypes of 3 male Talpa specimens from northern Spain were analyzed. The mesostyles of upper molars and cytochrome b sequence analysis identified these specimens as belonging to Talpa aquitania, a new Talpa species recently described from northern Spain and southern France. We describe here for the first time the karyotype of Talpa aquitania. Its diploid number is 2n = 34 and NFa = 64, and all chromosomes including the sex chromosomes are biarmed, either metacentric or submetacentric. G-banding demonstrated that the karyotypes of T. aquitania and T. occidentalis (the most closely related species) are almost identical. However, the karyotype of T. aquitania differs from the karyotypes of both T. europaea and T. occidentalis in that it has a medium-sized biarmed Y chromosome rather than a dot-like chromosome and that chromosome 16 is submetacentric in T. aquitania but has a small p-arm in both T. europaea and T. occidentalis. Pericentromeric C-bands were scarce and only clearly visible in a few chromosomal pairs. In addition, C-banding demonstrated that half of the 14p, the 16p, and the Y chromosome are all heterochromatic. rDNA genes were located at the secondary constriction in autosomal pair 3, a common feature in the karyotypes of all Talpa species. Hybridization signals for telomeric repeats were found on the telomeres and the pericentric regions of some chromosomes and co-localized in the secondary constriction of pair 3 with the rDNA genes. In conclusion, the karyotype of T. aquitania from northern Spain is very similar to the karyotype of other species belonging to the genus Talpa.

Steppe rodents at the edge of their range: A case study of Spalax microphthalmus in the north of Ukraine

Based on results obtained during 2000–2018 by field research, polls of colleagues, and OSINT analysis, features of distribution of the greater mole rat Spalax microphthalmus in the eastern forest steppe of Ukraine were considered. The studied part of the species’ range is unique and represents the northern range edge of the entire Spalacidae family and of European steppe faunal assemblages in general. In total, data on 146 record localities were amassed, including 13 localities in the fragmented and 133 in the continuous part of the range. The offshoots of the Central Russian Upland in the valley of the Psel river (east of Sumy Oblast) are the sites with the highest density of settlements, while the species’ type biotopes are steppe balka slopes. The abundance of the greater mole rat decreased from the east to the west, and its colonies are the most fragmented along the Dnipro River. The species occurs in steppe and meadow habitats of an area of at least 20–50 ha. Analysis of the current and former distribution of the greater mole rat revealed that the species range contracts from the west; earlier it was a common species in different regions of the Middle Dnipro Area (including Kyiv city), but the current range edge runs along the line connecting Buryn – Nedryhailiv – Lokhvytsia – Myrhorod – Hadiach – Zinkiv – Zaliznychne. Isolated settlements exist in adjacent territories, particularly in Ichnia Raion of Chernihiv Oblast, and Lubny, Khorol, and Kobeliaky Raions of Poltava Oblast. The study showed that the species’ range contracted by two times to 35,000 km2 for the last 100 years, which includes only 430,000 ha of suitable habitats (15% of the range), allowing the existence here of 86,000–215,000 individuals. In fact, the species remained only in habitats that have been minimally affected by arable farming and other forms of active agricultural use. Besides, the species shows a clear confinement to habitats located near human settlements such as untilled lands, pastures with moderate grazing, waste and neglected lands, which constitute a separate group of transformed and semi-natural habitats. Formally, this allows the greater mole rat to be considered as a synanthropic species, because its inhabited biotopes, beside the zone of offshoots of the Central Russian Upland, have remained only near villages and along roads. The species also has an important biocoenotic role due to its burrowing activity and as prey of predatory birds (e.g., of the long-legged buzzard and Eurasian eagle owl) and mammals. The feeding period of the offspring of these predators generally coincides with the aboveground activity of mole rats, which lasts during May–July with a peak in June. Aboveground activity is mainly related to the resettlement of mole rats to new sites and dispersal of the young, due to which they became victims of predators.

New insight into the cradle of the grey voles (subgenus Microtus) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences

Our aim in this study was to further the understanding of the taxonomic relationships and the evolutionary history of grey voles (subgenus

Heterochromatin distribution and localization of nucleolar organizing regions in the 2n = 52 cytotypes of Nannospalax xanthodon and N. ehrenbergi from Turkey

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.