The karyotype of the Japanese mamushi,
Agkistrodon blomhoffii blomhoffii collected in Gifu-ken is investigated directly from the born marrow preparations. The chromosome number of males and females of this species is 2
n=36, consisting of 8 macrochromosome pairs and 10 microchromosome pairs. The pair no. 4 is the sex chromosomes. In the male it is a metacentric homomorphic pair (ZZ), while in the female a metacentric and subtelocentric heteromorphic pair (ZW). The length of the W-chromosome is about two third of the Z-chromosome. Among 10 microchromosomes, the largest pair no. 9 is confirmed to be metacentric.
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