The chromosomes of the Israeli garden dormouse,Eliomys melanurusWagner, 1849 (Rodentia, Gliridae)

Abstract
Preliminary results of karyological analysis of the Israeli garden dormouse are reported. The chromosomes of Eliomys melanurus from the northern Negev Desert are described. The karyotype shows a diploid number of 2n = 48 (aFN= 86). These results reinforce the discordance between morphotypes and karyotypes observed in the genus Eliomys, showing the occurrence of different chromosome numbers also in the melanurus‐group of subspecies.