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Abstract
A total of 52 individuals of Acomys dimidiatus were collected in Bushehr Province, Minab and Geno Biosphere Reserve in Hormozgan Province, Iran for the first time during the summer of 2003 and 2005. ANOVA results revealed significant differences in all characters of these rodents between the study sites, with the exception of the length of diastema and that of anterior palatine foramen. The Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that Khaeez and Jam samples (Boushehr) belonged to separate groups These samples were similar in cranial width. Minab samples had a positive association with occipitonasal, condylobasal, zygomatic and mandible lengths. Some of Geno samples were similar to Minab samples, but others differed because of the negative relationship with such characters as occipitonasal, condylobasal, zygomatic and mandible lengths. The comparison of cranial characteristics revealed the importance of occipitonasal and condylobasal lengths in distinguishing between the populations. Our results suggest that these morphometric characters are good indices for distinguishing between samples from different study sites. It was established that A. dimidiatus feeds both on plant- and animal-based food.