The Morphological Analysis of Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus (Mammalia: Rodentia) in Turkey

Authors: ERCÜMENT ÇOLAK, NURİ YİĞİT, MUSTAFA SÖZEN, REYHAN ÇOLAK, ŞAKİR ÖZKURT, TOLGA KANKILIÇ, TEOMAN KANKILIÇ

Abstract: We examined 529 specimens of Mus domesticus and Mus macedonicus from Turkey, in terms of their morphological, bacular, and phallic aspects. The zygomatic index (ZI) varied from 0.32 to 0.47 in M. domesticus, and 0.60 to 0.85 in M. macedonicus. The head plus body length/tail length (H+B/T) index varied from 0.87 to 1.05 in M. domesticus, and 1.08 to 1.78 in M. macedonicus. The zygomatic plate is straight or convex in M. domesticus and M. macedonicus. The ventral wing of the parietal is generally tortuous in M. domesticus and is protruding or straight in M. macedonicus. The anterolabial cusp on M^1 is missing or indistinct in M. domesticus and is forwardly prominent in M. macedonicus. Characteristics of the baculum and phallus did not differentiate M. domesticus from M. macedonicus.

Keywords: Mus domesticus, Mus macedonicus, ZI index, H+B/T index, morphology, Turkey

Full Text: PDF