Abstract
Karyotypes of Hynobius tsuensis from the southern Tsusima Island and H. leechii from Kyongju, southern Korea were examined by the Giemsa stain and C-banding techniques. Both species have the karyotype (2n=56) characterized by the absence of a medium telocentric pair and, in this respect, resemble the forms from geographically remote northeastern Japan (northern populations of H. lichenatus and H. tokyoensis, H. nigrescens, and H. takedai) but differ from more adjacent southwestern forms (H. abei, H. nebulosus and southern population of H. tokyoensis). The two species differ in the shape of a medium pair and C-banding patterns of two large homologous chromosomes. Relationships between karyology and systematics among species of the nebulosus and lichenatus groups are discussed.
