A new species of voles, Microtus elbeyli sp nov., from Turkey with taxonomic overview of social voles distributed in southeastern Anatolia

YİĞİT N., ÇOLAK E., SÖZEN M.

TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, vol.40, no.1, pp.73-79, 2016 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus, TRDizin) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 40 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2016
  • Doi Number: 10.3906/zoo-1404-19
  • Journal Name: TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.73-79
  • Keywords: Microtus elbeyli, taxonomy, morphology, distribution, new species, Turkey, MAMMALIA RODENTIA, ASIA
  • Ankara University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

There are twelve Microtus species in Turkey and two of them are endemic to the steppic central Anatolian plateau. In this study, previously collected specimens that were recorded as Microtus irani from southeastern Turkey were reevaluated by karyologically comparing different species distributed throughout southeastern Turkey. The taxonomic status of this species was raised to a new species, Microtus elbeyli sp. nov., which has dark ochreous dorsal color, agrestis morphotype in M-2, and 2n = 46, NF = 50, NFa = 46 karyotype. The new species described here raises the total number of Microtus species in Turkey to 13 and endemic vole species in Anatolia to three.