Acomys (Acomys) cilicicus Spitzenberger 1978

Acomys (Acomys) cilicicus Spitzenberger 1978, Ann. Nat. Hist. Mus . Wien, 81: 444.

Type Locality: Asiatic Turkey, Vil Mersin, 17 km E Silifke.

Vernacular Names: Turkish Spiny Mouse.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality (Bates, 1994).

Conservation: IUCN – Critically Endangered.

Discussion: Subgenus Acomys . Corbet (1984) commented on this species. Karyotype documented by Macholán et al. (1995). Zima et al. (1999 b) considered the karyotype to be closely similar to that of A. nesiotes from Cyprus, stated that karyotypes of A. cilicicus and A. cahirinus from Egypt were "almost identical" (p. 151), and suggested "that A. cahirinus, A. cilicicus, and A. nesiotes represent a separate group of karyotypically closely related species of Eastern Mediterranean spiny mice." This notion is corroborated by phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA cytochrome b sequences (Barome et al., 1998, 2000) and breeding experiments (Frynta and Sádlová, 1998). Kivanç et al. (1997 b) reported the same karyotype, but also looked at phallic morphology and concluded A. cilicicus was distinct because of its unique combination of phallic and other morphological traits in combination with a karyotype nearly identical to that of A. cahirinus . See accounts of A. minous and A. nesiotes .