Karyotype of the Eichwald’s Toad, Bufo eichwaldi (Amphibia: Bufonidae)

Abstract

For the first time the karyotype of Bufo eichwaldi was described (2n = 22). It consists of 12 large metacentric (V), 8 small metacentric (v), and 2 small submetacentric chromosomes (sv): 12 V + 8 v + 2 sv, NF = 44. According to the number of chromosomes and arrangement of NORs (in the end of long arms of pairs 6), the karyotype of B. eichwaldi has no differences from karyotypes of close related B. bufo and B. verrucosissimus. The main difference is wide heterochromatin C-blocks in long arms of pair 10, which is present in B. eichwaldi and lacking in B. bufo and B. verrucosissimus. Moreover, in the Eichwald’s toad the pair 1 has, as a rule, larger size if compare with other two species. Additionally, these two species had two submetacentric chromosomes (pairs 4 and 7), but B. eichwaldi had only one (pair 7).