Karyological studies of four agamid lizards from Semnane province of Iran

Abstract

Iran possesses about 241 species of reptiles, which 55 species of them (22.8%) are endemic to Iran. Agamidae is the important family of reptile in Iran with 22 species, which is poor in terms of chromosomal studies. In this paper, karyological survey was made for four species of the family Agamidae by bone marrow cell preparations. Karyotype of male and female of Laudakia caucasia (2n=34) was consisted of 6 pairs macro and 11pairs of microchromosomrs. Karyotype of Laudakia nupta nupta (2n=36) was including of 6 pairs of macro and 12 pairs of microchromosomes. Karyotype of Phrynocephalus scutellatus (2n=46) was consisted of 22 macro and 24 microchromosomes, which is reported here for the first time. Also, new cytotype of Traplus agilis agilis (2n=49) is reported here for the first time. Karyotype of this species was consisted of 21 large acrocentric and 28 microchromosomes, which one of the acrocentric chromosomes may be a sex chromosome.

Keywords

• agamid
• chromosome
• iran
• karyotype
• lizards