Karyotypic analyses and morphological comments on the endemic and endangered Brazilian painted tree rat Callistomys pictus (Rodentia, Echimyidae)

• Main Authors: Karen Ventura, Gilson Evaristo Iack Ximenes, Renata Pardini, Marcos A. Nóbrega de Sousa, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda, Maria José de J. Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Genética 2008-01-01
• Series: Genetics and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Callistomys; karyotype; banding patterns; Echimyinae
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1415-47572008000400016

The genus Callistomys belongs to the rodent family Echimyidae, subfamily Echimyinae, and its only living representative is Callistomys pictus, a rare and vulnerable endemic species of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Callistomys has been previously classified as Nelomys, Loncheres, Isothrix and Echimys. In this paper we present the karyotype of Callistomys pictus, including CBG and GTG-banding patterns and silver staining of the nucleolus organizer regions (Ag-NORs). Comments on Callistomys pictus morphological traits and a compilation of Echimyinae chromosomal data are also included. Our analyses revealed that Callistomys can be recognized both by its distintinctive morphology and by its karyotype.