Complete mitochondrial genome of the black giant squirrel Ratufa bicolor (Rodentia: Sciuridae)

Abstract

The complete mitochondrial genome of black giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) from Hainan Island was sequenced and characterized in detail. The 16,563 bp genome was composed of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 2 non-coding regions. The mitochondrial genome of R. bicolor presented in this report will be useful for species identification, conversation and clarifying the controversial taxonomic status of genus Ratufa.

• Black giant squirrel
• complete mitochondrial genome
• Ratufa bicolor
• Sciuridae

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for providing valuable comments on the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article. This research was funded by the Major International (Regional) Joint Research Project of NSFC (Grant No. 31110103910).